Podcast / See How They Run / Sep 14, 2024

Harris Crushed Trump. Will It Matter?

On this episode of See How They Run, Jeet Heer on the debate and where we go from here.

The Nation Podcasts
The Nation Podcasts

Here's where to find podcasts from The Nation. Political talk without the boring parts, featuring the writers, activists and artists who shape the news, from a progressive perspective.

Kamala Crushed Trump. Will It Matter? | See How They Run
byThe Nation Magazine

On this episode of See How They Run, D.D. Guttenplan is joined by Jeet Heer to discuss the last presidential debate and where we go from here.

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Republican presidential nominee, former U.S. President Donald Trump, during the presidential election campaign at The National Constitution Center on September 10, 2024 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

(Win McNamee / Getty Images)

That sound you heard at around 10:45 Eastern time on Tuesday night was a collective sigh of relief from Democrats across the country. Kamala Harris had debated Donald Trump, and, unlike Joe Biden, she had survived. Not just that—she was widely declared the winner, having successfully provoked Trump into a series of incoherent rants for most of the debate’s 90 minutes.

Experts love telling us that debates don’t matter that much—that they rarely shift the dynamics of a campaign. We know that the Biden-Trump debate was a hellish exception to that supposed rule. But what about the Harris-Trump debate? Did Harris turn this into a different kind of race? Will Trump’s meltdowns hurt his chances? Or are giddy Democrats tempting fate, 2016-style?

On this episode of See How They Run, we’re debating the debate. And standing at the lectern opposite mine is our national affairs correspondent Jeet Heer.

The Nation Podcasts
The Nation Podcasts

Here's where to find podcasts from The Nation. Political talk without the boring parts, featuring the writers, activists and artists who shape the news, from a progressive perspective.

Subscribe to The Nation to Support all of our podcasts

D.D. Guttenplan

D.D. Guttenplan is a special correspondent for The Nation and the host of The Nation Podcast. He served as editor of the magazine from 2019 to 2025 and, prior to that, as an editor at large and London correspondent. His books include American Radical: The Life and Times of I.F. Stone, The Nation: A Biography, and The Next Republic: The Rise of a New Radical Majority.

More from The Nation

Donald Trump departs after speaking during a House Republican retreat at The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts on January 6, 2026, in Washington, DC.

Venezuela in American Politics—Plus, VA Housing for Homeless Vets Venezuela in American Politics—Plus, VA Housing for Homeless Vets

On Start Making Sense: John Nichols on the lack of support for Trump’s attack on Venezuela, and Mark Rosenbaum on the court victory that should end homelessness for disabled vets....

Jon Wiener

Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, are seen in handcuffs after landing at a Manhattan helipad, escorted by heavily armed Federal agents as they make their way into an armored car en route to a federal courthouse in Manhattan on January 5, 2026 in New York City.

Venezuela, Latin America, and the Future of US Foreign Policy, With Greg Grandin Venezuela, Latin America, and the Future of US Foreign Policy, With Greg Grandin

On the latest American Prestige.

Daniel Bessner, Derek Davison, and Greg Grandin

People participate in a “No Kings” national day of protest in Boston, Massachusetts, on October 18, 2025.

A Year of Resistance—in the Streets, in Elections, and in the Courts A Year of Resistance—in the Streets, in Elections, and in the Courts

On Start Making Sense: Harold Meyerson and David Cole review the year 2025, when a remarkable resistance movement challenged an unprecedented attack on democracy.

Jon Wiener

Pumpjacks lift oil from wells at the Midway-Sunset Oil Field, California's largest, in Fellows, near Taft, on October 17, 2025.

Masculinity, the Manosphere, and Climate Politics Masculinity, the Manosphere, and Climate Politics

On this episode of American Prestige: Daniel Waite Penny discusses the new season of Carbon Bros.

Daniel Bessner and Derek Davison

LAPD officers and National Guard soldiers stand outside a downtown LA jail in June 2025.

How LA Defeated Trump! Plus, Bob Dylan’s Xmas How LA Defeated Trump! Plus, Bob Dylan’s Xmas

On Start Making Sense: Bill Gallegos on the withdrawal of the National Guard and marines from LA last summer, and Sean Wilentz on Dylan’s choice of songs for his Christmas album.

Jon Wiener

The Living Legacy of Norman Podhoretz

The Living Legacy of Norman Podhoretz The Living Legacy of Norman Podhoretz

On The Time of Monsters: David Klion and Ronnie Grinberg on a founding father of neo-conservatism.

Jeet Heer

x