Donald Trump bombed his first debate against Kamala Harris by a virtually unanimous consensus in the media. But in one bar in Manhattan, he had a hometown advantage. As the debate got going and Trump alternated between taking Harris’s bait about crowd sizes and half-heartedly trotting out his greatest culture-war hits, his rhetoric around abortion and immigrants was met with rapturous applause from well over 100 of his most fervent supporters in the five boroughs, who packed into a watch party hosted by the New York Young Republican Club. As the night wore on, though, the crowd paid less attention to the debate and more to one another — and the sports-betting apps on their phones. By the time closing statements rolled around, hardly anyone was watching; even Trump’s final words were lost in a sea of chitchat. Once it was over, multiple attendees could be heard grudgingly admitting that Harris had held her own. Here’s what it looked and sounded like.
There was a Bronze Age mind-set on Epstein Island.
Photo: Alex Kent
It’s so nice to be around people who think the same way!
[Tapping the shoulder of a man in a standard-issue MAGA hat] Hey man, I love your hat.
Are you Scottish?
I’m Scottish, English, and Irish.
That’s awesome!
I refinanced my mortgage under Trump. People said I was crazy refinancing during the pandemic, but now people got rates of like 6 percent!
What’s crazy is the Indian side of her family’s Republican.
So is Tampon Tim’s family!
How can they say that he was a dictator? He was president for four years; he was not a dictator! Even calling it a democracy is wrong — it’s a republic!
[Debate moderator Linsey Davis fact-checking Trump] There is no state in this country where it is legal to kill a baby after it’s born.
Why did she say that? She said there’s no state. I’m sorry, is she part of the debate?
Stop saying “Trump abortion ban!” That’s a lie.
… She’s doing a really good job of this.
Photo: Alex Kent
Woman 1: I have no children. Does that mean I have no say?
Woman 2: I think there’s a better way to have put that, but it is true.
All lives matter! Republican lives matter!
[Pointing to a woman’s Trump hat] I like your hat! I’ve never seen a pink one before.
Thank you!
I want a blue one, but, like … I can’t.
She’s doing better than I expected! It breaks my heart to say that, but she’s doing much better than I expected.
Kamala is friends with ABC’s president. The whole thing’s rigged.
She’s got one of those Elon Musk brain chips.
It’s an auditory teleprompter!
Auditory teleprompter guy a few minutes later: She’s speaking at a different cadence now. Something’s up.
Same guy, a few more minutes later: I’m sorry to bring this up again, but look at her podium: It’s got more of a curve to it. Do you think her podium is shorter?
I have no idea.
Look when they show it again — her podium is shorter!
Photo: Alex Kent
Trump, onscreen: Now she wants to give transgender operations to illegal aliens who are in prison!
[Young man briefly turns away from his sports-betting app and smacks his friend joyfully on the shoulder] That was a triple entendre, bro!
I don’t really think debates can be won. I think people side with who they like.
Dude, you have to be in finance.
I’m an attorney. But you’re the second person to say that to me tonight.
You look great!
Thank you …
The tie, the shirt, the shoes — you must be making money!
Young man accompanying Lucian Wintrich, the far-right conspiracy theorist and founder of “Twinks for Trump” and chair of the New York Young Republicans media committee: I was accused of being a minor. An actual minor!
I don’t even know what’s going on in my group chat.
My grandma died a few years ago. She had Alzheimer’s. And so I watched this guy [Biden] onstage and I just knew.
[Greeting another attendee] Ahh, my fuhrer! How’s the baby, how’s the wife?
How do you think he did?
I’m not sure. I think he was worse than last time. But I don’t know. How about you?
I don’t know. I’m trying to figure it out.
Seriously, though — boooo!
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