On Wednesday, September 11, ex-President Donald Trump initiated a strong criticism of Neil Cavuto, the Fox Business Network host, following Cavuto’s unfavorable review of Trump’s September 10 debate with Vice President Kamala Harris. Cavuto, on his program “Cavuto: Coast to Coast,” claimed that Trump “decisively lost” the debate.
In dialogue with Bob Cusack, the editor-in-chief of “The Hill,” Cavuto was frank about Trump’s performance in the debate with Harris. Cavuto pointed out, “He had six prior presidential debates to this one. But this one, at least in my liking—and you’re the expert here—he decisively lost it. He might have made some very good presentations on where the economy was, but it was all over the map.”
Cavuto described Trump’s debate performance as not a small setback, but a significant loss. Cavuto stated, “This was that first occasion where it wasn’t just a close call. It was a lopsided one.”
Several polls supported Cavuto’s remarks, suggesting that most viewers saw Harris as the winner of the debate. A CNN flash poll, for instance, indicated that 63% of viewers believed Harris outperformed Trump, compared to 37% favoring Trump.
Trump did not ignore Cavuto’s comments. On his Truth Social platform, he assailed Cavuto, labeling him “Fox’s Lowest Rated Anchor” and “one of the WORST on Television.” In a further dig, he stated, “I actually prefer the losers at CNN and MSDNC!”
Post-debate polls seemed to support Cavuto’s critique. A YouGov poll indicated that 54% of registered voters believed Harris won the debate, while only 31% sided with Trump. Trump’s contentious debate performance included spreading false claims about topics such as immigration, where he implied that dogs and cats were being eaten by Haitian immigrants, and his opposition to what he termed the “execution” of babies after birth, which appeared to further estrange some voters.
Despite the critique, Trump’s supporters promptly defended him, citing alternative polls. In a Truth Social post, Trump highlighted informal surveys conducted on platforms like X and Newsmax, where 93% of respondents believed he won the debate. Trump used these polls to assert that Harris is requesting another debate because “she lost so badly.”
While Cavuto and other political analysts berated Trump’s performance, not all agreed that the debate would significantly impact the election. A Reuters/Ipsos poll suggested that although Harris held a slight lead over Trump in the presidential race, the debate did not substantially alter most voters’ opinions. In fact, 82% of those polled stated the debate did not influence their presidential choice.
The disagreement between Trump and Cavuto is not a new development. The two have a lengthy history of public disputes, with Trump previously referring to Cavuto as “garbage” after the anchor criticized him on multiple occasions. This recent critique only intensifies the division between Trump and some conservative media members, who are beginning to distance themselves from the ex-president’s rhetoric.
As the fallout of this recent confrontation settles, it is uncertain whether Trump will consent to another debate with Harris or maintain his assertion that he triumphed in the first one. Currently, Trump’s ire toward Cavuto continues to dominate news headlines, with his supporters backing his performance, even as more unbiased polls suggest a contrasting narrative.
