The second debate in the US presidential election cycle between former President Donald Trump and Vice-President Kamala Harris was a night-and-day difference between the first debate between Trump and President Joe Biden.

Harris attacked like a woman scorned, putting Trump on the defensive for his policies and legal problems, reports Reuters.

“Meeting him for the first time in person, Harris forced her opponent to shake hands, something he and Joe Biden did not do in June, one of many moments at the debate in which the two candidates used body language to do battle,” says Reuters.

CNN reports, “Harris appeared to succeed with tactics designed to enrage the former president and bait him into attacking her. Harris said that world leaders were laughing at Trump and accusing him of belittling people.”

“Trump was often out of control,” said CNN, adding its poll of debate watchers conducted by SSRS thought Harris outperformed Trump.

“The Democrat vice-president moved repeatedly to get under the skin of the former Republican president, provoking him with reminders about the 2020 election loss that he still denies and derisive asides at his other claims,” reports Newsmax. “This, as he pressed his case that Harris is an extreme left-wing flip-flopper closely aligned with the failed policies of the Biden administration.”

Harris tried to make the case Trump is unfit for office, using her answers in a way designed to provoke him into launching into one of the personal attacks that his advisers and supporters have tried to steer him away from, added Newsmax.

“In one moment, Harris turned to Trump and said as vice-president, she had spoken to foreign leaders, ‘and they say you’re a disgrace,’” said Newsmax.

Trump tried to link Harris to Biden and what he called failed Biden policies on inflation, immigration and more, questioning why she hadn’t acted on her proposed ideas while serving as vice president.

“He focused his attacks on Harris over her assignment by Biden to deal with the root causes of illegal migration,” said Newsmax.

The debate came after a heated campaign summer, offering Americans a more detailed look at a campaign that has seen many changes, including the attempted assassination of Trump and Biden dropping out of the presidential race.

“Harris repeatedly shook her head derisively as Trump spoke, occasionally staring at him with a hand on her chin, while Trump seemed to avoid looking toward the Democrat,” reports Newsmax. “A disciplined Trump hewed closely to his rally talking points and attacks.”

“As Harris seemed to try to interject during one of his responses, Trump replied, ‘I’m talking now, sound familiar?’ harkening back to a moment when Harris shut down an interruption from then-Vice President Mike Pence in a 2020 debate.”

The debate was televised by ABC-TV in Philadelphia, moderated by ABC’s David Muir and Linsey Davis, with the New York Post reporting there are concerns about the bias of the moderators.

“Former President Donald Trump repeatedly found himself on the back foot Tuesday night during his debate with Vice-President Kamala Harris, as Republicans seethed over repeated fact-checks of the GOP candidate and a noticeably lighter touch for the Democrat’s own disputed statements,” says the Post.

“Harris arrived well-prepared to rattle Trump by claiming that military leaders had told her that the Republican nominee and 45th president was a ‘disgrace,’ that world leaders were ‘laughing’ at him and even asserting that people start leaving his rallies early out of exhaustion and boredom,” says the Post.

“Trump found himself having to answer not only Harris’ repeated and pointed attacks on both his pride and policy, but also a pair of moderators who quibbled with some of his statements despite what his supporters viewed as a lack of even-handedness.”

The Post added, “Harris delivered a far stronger appearance than the dismal showing by President Joe Biden that stoked Democratic fears of a Trump landslide victory, with the former prosecutor avoiding major gaffes and deflecting potentially damaging questions about her record and evolving stances on a range of major issues.”

After the debate Tuesday night, several Harris campaign officials called for a second debate.

“That was fun. Let’s do it again in October,” Harris campaign communications director Brian Fallon wrote on X, formerly Twitter.

“Vice President Harris is ready for a second debate. Is Donald Trump?” asked Harris-Walz campaign chair, Jen O’Malley Dillion

On Fox News Wednesday morning, Trump said he wasn’t sure if he would debate again.

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