We’ve all had hard days. We often wake up and wish we were farther along than we find ourselves to be, wish the road ahead looked smoother, wish for even a few moments to relax.

None of those things greeted Trump supporters the day after his debate with Vice President Kamala Harris.

Harris performed remarkably well Tuesday, significantly exceeding what anyone thought possible — especially those of us who have watched her ramble incoherently for years, but possibly also even some of her most ardent supporters.

Her focus and discipline were superb. She carried out an immaculately and skillfully designed plan of attack, designed and trained by many of the best political sharpshooters in America. The intensity of this training should come as no surprise, nor should it be seen as foul play. The most powerful political machine in the world, the one most ruthlessly and fiercely addicted to the need for power, is investing billions in her success. Of course they would pull out all stops to invest in her training and preparation for the debate. Wars are meant to be won.

Harris’s debate performance had to be an occasion of great relief and excitement for Democrats. She showed up, came prepared, and demonstrated skills not previously seen.

Former President Donald Trump, on the other hand, did not come prepared. I place this at the feet of his campaign, and his handlers and advisers.

Missed Opportunities

I’m struck by the sense that he may well have entered this debate overconfident, not strongly prepared, and underestimating his opponents. I deliberately use the plural here — “opponents” — as I firmly believe he walked into a sophisticated ambush. There were three intensely dedicated Democrat contenders in the ring, and behind them machines of massive power and commitment.

Again, the Trump team should have anticipated this and never allowed their principal to enter an arena of such extreme vulnerability without proper vigilance.

But Trump himself is also responsible. A person of his success, power, and intelligence shouldn’t be so easily goaded and kept on the defensive. A person of his record, patriotism, and natural human compassion should easily sit above the falsehood, conceit, and guile leveled against him Tuesday night.

He easily and calmly, almost half asleep, could have dispatched virtually every point of attack Harris faithfully and effectively parroted. She recited literally dozens of known, unfact-checked lies. He could easily have shown the newly minted, wholly fabricated Harris to be a complete media invention. A properly prepared Trump could have dispatched and voided virtually every point Harris made in 40-second responses.

What We Should Have Seen

Imagine the struggle the anti-Trump moderators would have faced if Trump, with near disinterest, razed each of their schemes in 40-second soundbites, and just walked away from the remaining two minutes.

“Mr. President, you still have over a minute to speak.”

“I’ve said what I need to say on the matter.”

The fortunate thing for the worldwide MAGA family is that Harris’s “victory” was built almost entirely on lies, fabrication, and a rigged debate design. Even so, there is no excuse for Trump to have done as poorly as he did, allowing himself to be put on the defensive for 90 straight minutes. No champion should enter a match carelessly, overconfident, or unprepared.

As we work hard toward a November 5 victory, invested patriots and freedom lovers should demand that such a thing never happen again.

We Should Do More

Fortunately for Trump supporters, little was lost. This is due to the fact that what might be called a Harris victory was built on unchecked lies and the artificial fabrication of a political persona (Harris as the caring moderate) that does not, in fact, exist. The advantage conservatives have now is that the news going forward will be a constant unraveling of this falsehood. Harris and the Democrat machine’s deceit and gaslighting will constantly fill the information world during the all-important days ahead. This is a good thing. As we come down to the wire, the dragging out and exposing of lie after lie, falsehood after falsehood, day after day is a plus for MAGA hopefuls.

The most important thing right now is for everyone who seeks a free and healthy America to get up, brush off the dust, get back on the horse, and charge forward with greater might and courage than ever before.

Whatever each of us do and have been doing so far, we should do more. Not with desperation, but with excitement. We’ve got the right ideas and the right team in Trump and Vance. We can help every American, Left and Right, by rescuing our country from the devastation that Democrats and the radical left have wrought, and seek to increase.

Frank Kaufmann is the founding director and editor-in-chief of the Wikipedia alternative New World Encyclopedia. In 2020, he founded The Settlement Project in response to a spike in clear and open attacks on America, especially from within. Through The Settlement Project, he organizes, writes, travels, eats, and sleeps the mission to protect, honor, and rebuild a strong and healthy America.