Trump Admits Losing 2020 Election ‘By A Whisker’ But Later Claims It Was Sarcasm

Donald Trump and Kamala Harris are set for a crucial showdown in Philadelphia, with polls showing a tight race. Their face-to-face encounter, potentially their only one before Election Day, comes less than two months before the election.

Both face unique challenges to secure an edge as they battle for voters’ attention in this pivotal moment. Donald Trump defended his actions surrounding the Capitol Hill violence on January 6, 2021, shifting blame to Nancy Pelosi. He emphasized that while he acknowledged the protesters heading to the Capitol, he instructed them to march “peacefully and patriotically.”

Trump also criticized the treatment of rioters, who have faced prosecution, and refuted his earlier comments that he “lost by a whisker” in the 2020 election. “I said that?” Trump responded when asked by ABC News moderator David Muir if he was acknowledging his 2020 loss.

“Are you now acknowledging that you lost in 2020?” Muir asked. “No, I don’t acknowledge that at all,” Trump replied, clarifying, “That was said sarcastically.”

As Trump accused Kamala Harris of supporting police defunding, she was seen mouthing “not true” despite her microphone being muted. Noticing this, Trump quipped, “I’m talking now. If you don’t mind. Please. Does that sound familiar?” —a nod to Harris’ famous 2020 debate line to Mike Pence, “Mr. Vice President, I’m speaking.”

Trump also alleged that Democrats’ rhetoric against him contributed to the July incident when he was shot in the ear. “I probably took a bullet to the head because of the things they say about me. They talk about democracy, saying, ‘I’m a threat to democracy.’ They’re the threat to democracy,” Trump remarked, accusing Democrats of politically driven criminal charges against him.

“They weaponized the Justice Department. They made them go after me,” he added. Kamala Harris, meanwhile, challenged Trump’s claim that crime is surging under the Biden administration, citing federal data to the contrary.

“I think it’s ironic coming from someone who has faced prosecution for national security crimes, economic crimes, and election interference and has been found liable for sexual assault,” Harris said.

She noted Trump’s upcoming court appearance in November for criminal sentencing, referencing his New York conviction for falsifying business documents. “Let’s be clear about where each person stands on respect for the rule of law and law enforcement,” she added.