Supporters of former President Donald Trump gathered at the Wake County GOP office Tuesday night to watch the first presidential debate between Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris, cheering on the Republican candidate and expressing skepticism toward his Democratic opponent.

The debate, hosted by ABC News in Philadelphia, was the first face-to-face matchup between Trump and Harris since President Joe Biden dropped out of the race earlier this summer. With polls showing a tight contest, both candidates sought to make their case to voters with just under two months until Election Day.

At the watch party, attendees received bingo cards with phrases like “Project 2025,” “illegal immigration” and “Harris maniacal laughter” to mark off during the debate. The room erupted in cheers at several points when Trump spoke forcefully, such as when he said “I’m talking now” to Harris.

Karen Mulligan, chairwoman of the Wake County GOP, said she was confident in Trump’s performance before and throughout the debate.

“I think he came out strong,” Mulligan said. “I think he always comes out strong. I don’t think anybody was surprised. I don’t think anybody was swayed not to vote for him.”

Matt Mercer, director of communications for the North Carolina GOP, said he thought Trump did very well in the debate despite facing challenges from both Harris and the moderators. 

“I think at times he was really not just debating Kamala, he was also debating the moderators tonight,” Mercer said. “But Kamala, she’s a prosecutor, she’s experienced in these type of situations, and I think President Trump came with it well.”

Mercer said Trump’s closing statement was “fantastic,” saying the former president’s focus on Harris’ current status as vice president is imperative to his case for re-election.

“He expertly laid out the case that she had the chances to do these things and she hasn’t done them,” Mercer said. “So why should anyone believe that she would do them now?”

Mercer said Harris’ performance was defined by jargon and question dodging.

“You just see with her a lot of talking but very defensive and very few answers on her actual record,” Mercer said.

Mulligan said she had hoped to hear “more substance” from Harris. 

“I was hoping to see some policy talk about what she has done, what she has accomplished, what she’s going to do, and I didn’t hear any,” Mulligan said.

Some attendees reacted vocally to Harris’ statements during the debate. When Harris said Trump only cares about himself, someone in the room said, “He got shot.” And after Harris said women should be able to make choices about their own bodies, an attendee said, “Like the vaccine.” Another attendee said, “It was peaceful” when Harris called the Jan. 6 riot at the United States Capitol a “violent mob.”

When Harris contested Trump’s claim that she didn’t always identify as black, one attendee said, “What are you? Just say what you are,” while another said, “You ain’t black.”

Attendees expressed confidence in Trump’s chances in November, despite recent polls showing Harris gaining ground since becoming the presumptive Democratic nominee. Glenn Watson, a Wake County resident, said he expected Trump to succeed based on polling data.

“I think they’re really super strong,” said Watson, citing polling analyst Nate Silver giving Trump a 63.8 percent probability of winning. “I just think he’s going to do really well.”

Mercer said the debate reinforced both Trump’s and Harris’ plans for the country, and he finds Trump’s message as the one that would benefit the country the most.

“I think when you’re looking at what direction do we want to go, do we want to continue on the path of the last three and a half years, where you’ve got inflation, government spending, where you have our standing in the world all significantly worse than when President Trump was in office?” Mercer said. “Or did we say, ‘No, we’re not better off than we were four years ago?’ President Trump and Senator Vance are running on that message, to make America affordable again, to make families able, to really bring the American dream forward. And I think that’s what you’re looking at, and I think that difference is increasingly clear as the campaign goes on.”

Mulligan emphasized the importance of bringing voters together and hosting watch parties like this one. 

“It brings everybody together,” Mulligan said. “Most of the people that were here tonight are new to the party and new to us at Wake GOP, so it just brings everybody together.”