CNN

Ex-President Donald Trump is equivocating over the possibility of a second debate with Kamala Harris after his dud display in their first showdown prompted his team and conservative media allies to mount a frantic cleanup operation.

It’s far too early to say whether the tangle in Philadelphia substantially changed the race as Harris beseeches remaining movable voters in swing states to ditch the chaos of the Trump era. But in the aftermath of Tuesday’s debate, both campaigns are surveying the impact of a critical clash before more than 60 million viewers eight weeks from Election Day.

Trump, who took multiple victory laps following President Joe Biden’s disastrous debate performance in late June, found himself facing the kind of inquest endured by his erstwhile rival. While the ex-president’s campaign will not suffer the same fate as Biden’s shuttered reelection effort, the debate was the latest sign that Trump is still failing to focus on the new challenges posed by Harris and make his own best case.