Charles Blow compares Trump to Napoleon in debate defeat

Donald Trump, like Napoleon Bonaparte, was “intoxicated by hubris and narcissism” and suffered a “historic humiliation” after being “outmaneuvered” by Vice President Kamala Harris during Tuesday night’s debate, according to New York Times columnist Charles Blow.

Blow drew a striking comparison between the two figures, calling both “boastful propagandists” who ultimately fell victim to “amazing miscalculations.” He argued that, much like Napoleon at Waterloo, Trump fell right into the traps carefully laid by Harris. Chief among these traps was Harris’s jibe about Trump’s rallies, in which she claimed his supporters were “bored” and left early. This dig rattled Trump, who went on the defensive and insisted, “I have the most incredible rallies.”

“Trump spent weeks trying to portray Harris as ‘crazy,’ ‘weak,’ and ‘incompetent’ with a ‘low IQ,'” Blow wrote. “He denigrated her so often that he seemed completely unprepared to face a woman who was both smart and strategic.”

Blow praised Harris’ strategy, calling it “genius” for keeping Trump on the defensive all evening. According to Blow, Harris constantly changed direction, forcing Trump to pursue her arguments without ever gaining solid ground. “Trump never adjusted. Maybe he couldn’t. Whatever the reason, it turned out to be a disastrous evening for him,” Blow noted.

More broadly, Blow warned that Trump’s performance in the debate exposed his emotional vulnerability and left him vulnerable to manipulation by opponents. The columnist suggested that dictators and foreign leaders would likely have taken note of Harris’ tactics to “emotionally manipulate” Trump, highlighting his thin-skinned nature.

Blow concluded his column by claiming that while Trump did not experience a “Waterloo” in this particular debate, he certainly found Harris to be an equal opponent.