Trump media shares plunge 14.4% after Harris debate
Donald Trump revealed in an interview with Fox News that he was less likely to engage in a debate with Kamala Harris again.
Trump Media & Technology Group Corp stock fell 14.4% in Wednesday pre-market trade, according to stock trading statistics.
The media company, which trades on the New York company Exchange under the DJT symbol, which stands for Trump's initials sank dramatically after the Republican presidential candidate challenged Democratic nominee Kamala Harris on ABC News on Tuesday night. It closed up 3.27% on Tuesday.
Trump Networking & Technology Group Corp is the parent firm of Truth Social, a social networking site owned by the former US President. Trump owns more than 50% of the group, which has a market worth of $3.7 billion.
On September 10, Donald Trump and Kamala Harris faced off in their first debate of the 2024 election season. Hosted at the National Constitution Center and aired by ABC News, the debate highlighted the significant differences between the two candidates on key issues.
According to Fox News, Trump divulged he was less likely to engage in a second debate with Harris, sharply slamming the moderators and ABC for continually correcting him.
During an interview with Fox, he claimed he "won the debate," but explained "We had a terrible network. I think they were terrible. They should be embarrassed. I mean they kept correcting me."
The former president emphasized that what he had stated was "largely correct," and chastised the moderators for failing to refute what he said were Harris' ongoing falsehoods.
“I even complained a couple of times. ‘Why are you not correcting them?’. Look, they should have corrected six or seven times,” Trump stated.
As the debate highlighted the deep ideological divides between the two candidates, setting the stage for a contentious campaign season as the November election approaches.
Harris has stated that the second debate with Republican nominee Donald Trump should be scheduled for next month, according to a statement from Harris-Walz campaign Chair Jen O’Malley Dillon.
Key takeaways of the debate
At the beginning of the debate, Kamala Harris criticized Trump for lacking a clear economic plan, accusing him of focusing solely on tax breaks for the wealthiest Americans.
Donald Trump refuted Harris's points by asserting his detachment from Project 2025, a conservative initiative aimed at overhauling the federal government.
Trump claimed ignorance of the project and dismissed it as a collection of ideas from others, clarifying, "I have nothing to do with Project 2025. I haven’t read it, I don’t want to read it."
Trump made controversial statements regarding immigration, claiming that immigrants are "taking over towns and buildings" in the US and alleging that crime rates have increased due to the Biden-Harris administration’s policies.
Concerning "Israel", Harris assured that she would continue to support "Israel", stressing, "I will always give Israel the ability to defend itself, particularly against threats from Iran."
Trump warned that "Israel" could cease to exist within two years if Harris becomes president, stating, "If she's president, I believe that Israel will not exist within two years from now."
The debate also addressed one of the most contentious issues: Roe v. Wade and Trump doubled down on his claim of credit for overturning Roe v. Wade, while also asserting that he would not sign a national abortion ban if reelected.
He has wavered on his abortion position, shifting from initially supporting a national abortion ban to advocating for states' rights. Meanwhile, Harris has made abortion rights a central issue in her campaign.
Trump also made the assertion that Democrats support the "execution" of babies after birth. Davis refuted this, clarifying that "It's not legal to kill a baby after it's born in any state."
On the other hand, Harris criticized Trump's position, arguing that the government and Trump should not have control over a woman's choices regarding her body. She committed to signing legislation to reinstate Roe v. Wade if Congress passes a bill to enshrine federal abortion protections.