A CNN poll taken after the presidential debate between former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris found that the percentage of voters who trust Trump more on the economy rose from +16% to +20%.

CNN’s Jake Tapper introduced the poll by saying to CNN political director David Chalian, “The first results of our instant poll of debate-watchers have just come in and David Chalian is going to join us now to break it all down. David, tell us more.”

“Yeah, Jake, and as you noted, this is a poll of debate watchers,” Chalian pointed out. “This is not a poll that represents the overall population, although in partisan breakdown it is pretty close to what the overall registered population looks like in the country.”

Later in the broadcast, Chalian showed the result when debate-watchers were asked whom they trusted more on the economy, Trump or Harris, and found that although Trump led Harris by 16 points before the debate, 53%-37%, after the debate, Trump’s lead soared to 20%, 55%-35%.

CNN: More voters trust Trump on the economy AFTER watching the debate. pic.twitter.com/TbnCGBi8AM

— Trump War Room (@TrumpWarRoom) September 11, 2024

During the debate, Trump stated, “We’ve had a terrible economy because inflation has — which is really known as a country buster. It breaks up countries. We have inflation like very few people have ever seen before. Probably the worst in our nation’s history. … everybody knows I’m an open book. Everybody knows what I’m going to do. Cut taxes very substantially. And create a great economy like I did before. We had the greatest economy.”

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The centrality of the economy for voters has been amply reported in the media for months:

September 10: CBS News: “About 8 in 10 adults tell CBS News that the economy is a major factor in their choice at the polls, outpacing issues such as abortion and climate change.”

The Economist/YouGov poll, August 11-13: 73% of those polled said jobs and the economy were very important to them, far surpassing any other issue.

July 30: Statista: “A survey conducted in July 2024 found that the most important issue for 25 percent of Americans was inflation and prices. A further ten percent of respondents were most concerned about jobs and the economy.”

March 6: Data For Progress noted that between July 2023 to February 2024, inflation “held the top spot for the majority of the time” among issues important to voters.

Vice President Kamala Harris called for a second debate immediately following her first match against former President Donald Trump on Tuesday evening that has been widely criticized by the Right for how the moderators sought to fact-check Trump while they laid off Harris.

“The American people got to see the choice they will face this fall at the ballot box: between moving forward with Kamala Harris, or going backwards with Trump,” Jen O’Malley, the chairwoman of Harris’ campaign, said in a statement.

“That’s what they saw tonight and what they should see at a second debate in October,” she added. “Vice President Harris is ready for a second debate. Is Donald Trump?”

On Fox News, which was reporting live from the debate venue in Philadelphia after the event concluded, Trump said Harris wanted a second debate “because she lost.” Pressed by host Sean Hannity whether he would agree to another match, Trump said he might be inclined to do it “if it was on a fair network.”

Hannity: "She wants a second debate."

President Trump: "She wants it because she lost." pic.twitter.com/aEfKBsNQpK

— Trump War Room (@TrumpWarRoom) September 11, 2024

Up until now, Harris’ campaign had indicated it would only consider a second presidential debate against Trump in October if the Republican nominee attended the ABC News debate on Tuesday first.

Trump previously floated three debates against Harris, including the one held by ABC on Tuesday, as well as one held by Fox News on September 4 and another held by NBC News on September 25. The proposed Fox News date was later used for a town hall featuring Trump and Hannity.

During a press conference in August, Trump said Harris “may or may not agree” to all the debates he was offering to do against the vice president. He also declared that Harris was “barely competent” and knocked his opponent for not doing interviews as a presidential candidate.

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On Tuesday, Harris and Trump clashed on such issues as abortion, the economy, national security, and border security. The moderators, David Muir and Linsey Davis, have faced intense criticism for challenging Trump on his claims while neglecting to do the same kind of fact-checking against Harris.

Trump also faced President Joe Biden in a debate held by CNN in June. After Biden’s fumbling performance sparked a crisis of confidence among his allies, he stepped aside under pressure and Harris took the top spot on the Democratic Party’s ticket.

Minnesota Democratic Governor Tim Walz and Sen. JD Vance (R-OH), Harris’ and Trump’s running mates, respectively, are set to participate in a debate held by CBS News on October 1. Harris’ campaign refused to accept Vance’s offer of a second vice presidential debate held by CNN.