Minutes after facing a fiery exchange with Kamala Harris during their U.S. presidential debate on Tuesday, Donald Trump made a surprise appearance before reporters, aiming to have the final say.
As the debate ended, a wave of surprise swept through the press room as Trump unexpectedly entered the “spin room,” an area where campaign teams usually offer post-debate remarks to the media.
Journalists, armed with cameras and microphones, scrambled to get as close as possible to the former president. Amid the frenzy, one reporter managed to stand out, asking, “What about Black voters?” Trump responded confidently, “I love them. They love me.”
Throughout the debate, Harris had launched several pointed attacks at Trump, but when asked about his take on the 90-minute clash, the former president maintained, “I thought it was a great debate. Probably my best performance, though I don’t even see it as a performance.”
Trump continued, saying, “Our country is in decline. We’re a nation in decline. And when we talked about that, she couldn’t defend it.”
After taking a few more questions, Trump exited the room, leaving reporters to dissect the unusual move. Aaron Kall, a debate expert from the University of Michigan, remarked, “The fact that he showed up in the media center after the debate—that hasn’t happened in years. He’s trying to shift the narrative as fast as possible.”
With less than two months until the election, both candidates returned to the campaign trail the next day. They were set to attend separate ceremonies to honor the victims of the September 11, 2001, attacks.