Donald Trump, Kamala Harris debate for first time: Here's how talk shows and TV pundits reacted

Former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris debate for the first time during the presidential election campaign at the National Constitution Center on Sept. 10, 2024, in Philadelphia.

In the minutes and hours following the first presidential debate between former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris, late night hosts and morning show anchors had reactions and thoughts about what transpired on stage.

For 90 minutes on Tuesday in front of no studio audience, Trump and Harris traded barbs on the issues facing the nation, including the economy, abortion, and immigration. Moderators David Muir and Linsey Davis also pressed the candidates on the Israel-Hamas war and Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

The two faced off in Philadelphia as polls show the race tied or within the margin of error in critical swing states. Here's how TV show hosts and political pundits reacted to the debate.

Who won the debate? Harris' forceful performance rattles a defensive Trump.

'She crushed that': Jon Stewart praises Kamala Harris' debate performance

'Good Morning America' recaps '90 minutes of confrontation'

"This was a fierce and fiery faceoff. Donald Trump on the defensive for much of the night, Kamala Harris taking every chance she could to get under his skin, goading Trump to go off-message while avoiding much focus on her own vulnerabilities," said ABC News chief White House correspondent Mary Bruce on "Good Morning America."

"This morning, the big question remains: Will any of this be enough to fundamentally change the dynamics of this race?" Bruce added.

"The Harris team this morning is thrilled with her performance, so much so that they are already challenging Trump to another debate, but it remains to be seen if what we saw last night is going to be enough to move the needle," Bruce said.

"She accomplished what she needed to accomplish and he helped her," said former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie.

"There's no question that there was one person who showed up as the next president, and that was Kamala Harris," said former DNC Chair Donna Brazile.

Jon Stewart praises Kamala Harris' debate performance on 'The Daily Show'

Jon Stewart didn't pull any punches in his presidential debate reaction.

"The Daily Show" returned live for the second debate, the first with Democratic nominee Vice President Kamala Harris and Republican nominee former President Donald Trump head-to-head, with Stewart starting off by calling Tuesday night's debate "refreshing" for its return to question-dodging.

"I just want to say, after surviving the PTSD of the last presidential debate, how unbelievably refreshing it is to go back to the same old, nobody's going to answer any (expletive) questions!" Stewart yelled after watching clips from the first question on the United States economy. "We're back!"

Jimmy Kimmel breaks down debate on 'Jimmy Kimmel Live'

Jimmy Kimmel broke down the debate at the open of his show on Tuesday night, comparing it to watching "the Lorax debate the Grinch."

"Usually when Donald Trump gets a spanking like this from a woman, it's with a Forbes magazine," Kimmel joked.

Stephen Colbert delivers live monologue following debate

In a live monologue following the debate, Colbert joked that the debate was between "Donald versus his own mouth."

Colbert went on to throw a jab at President Joe Biden, saying that unlike the first presidential debate between Biden and Trump in June, "this time the Democratic candidate was able to walk out to the stage without pausing for a nap."

Gabe Hauari is a national trending news reporter at USA TODAY. You can follow him on X @GabeHauari or email him at Gdhauari@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Debate reactions: 'GMA,' 'The Daily Show,' more discuss Trump, Harris