‘The View’ Takes on Harris’ ‘Elder Abuse’ Debate Victory Against Trump

The hosts of The View took on Tuesday’s debate showdown between Vice President Kamala Harris and former president Donald Trump at the top of their Wednesday show. And Joy Behar summed up their collective response by describing Harris’ clear victory as so damning that it was “almost like elder abuse.”

“Clearly, Vice President Harris kicked some butt,” Whoopi Goldberg said at the top of the first segment. “She called you-know-who out for kissing up to dictators, killing the immigration bill, having no health care plan, and spewing lies about post-birth abortion, which to be clear is illegal everywhere.”

Behar seconded that, noting that Harris was “so tough on him,” that it was like “almost like elder abuse,” adding, “It was sort of painful to watch.”

Many talking heads noted that Trump appeared old and incoherent during the debate, often going off on tangents instead of answering the moderators’ questions. In contrast, Harris came out on top in the view of many, including Taylor Swift, who endorsed Harris and Walz immediately following the debate.

Alyssa Farah Griffin, who used to work in Trump’s White House, said that Harris “objectively won the night. Republicans are saying it, Fox News is saying it. As I predicted, he melted down within the first few minutes. She laid traps for him and he flopped right into them.”

Sara Haines praised Harris’ overall performance, saying, “That’s what preparation looks like.” She also pointed out Harris’ first move of the night, when Trump tried to dodge her as she approached to shake his hand. “That handshake was such a bold way to start the whole thing,” she added.

Goldberg noted the former president also avoided saying Harris’ first name, which he’d made a point to mispronounce several times on the campaign trail. “You notice he didn’t say [her name] at all because he knew—because she said to him, ‘You want to say something to me, say it to my face.’ And she put her face right there [during the handshake], and he couldn’t do it.”

While Goldberg acknowledged that Harris’ debate performance wasn’t perfect, she was pleased. “Are there things she could have said more about? Yes, probably. But she nailed what she wanted to do,” she concluded, and “that’s what I wanted to hear.”