House Republicans lament Trump's 'terrible' debate performance: 'Let her get under his skin'

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The debate moved independent and undecided voters toward Kamala Harris: Sen. Chris Coons

Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del., reacts to the vice president's performance during the ABC News Presidential Debate on 'Your World' (Credit: ABC News).

EXCLUSIVE: House Republicans are privately expressing frustration about former President Trump’s performance in his debate against Vice President Kamala Harris on Tuesday.

Several House GOP lawmakers granted anonymity to speak freely acknowledged Trump "missed" opportunities to effectively attack Harris and tout his own record. A few said it was the prevailing sentiment within the House Republican Conference that Harris successfully baited him on multiple occasions — though most argued it would ultimately have little impact on Election Day.

"It was terrible. I think you’re seeing that comment from everybody," one senior House Republican told Fox News Digital.

"The thing that’s terrible is, he had so many opportunities to come after her and he didn’t. He got bogged down on the hook she was dragging through the water."

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Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Trump appear during the second presidential debate at the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Philadelphia on Tuesday. (Getty Images)

Another House GOP lawmaker went even further, calling the debate a "dumpster fire" for the former president.

"It was one of the worst bloodlettings I’ve ever seen," the lawmaker said. "But the thing is, too, the optics itself — Trump standing next to Kamala Harris, he looks old. He didn’t look old against Biden…and that, you can’t fix."

While most Republicans shrugged off the debate's ultimate effect on the election, that lawmaker worried, "I think it’s gonna sway the people in the middle, who matter."

A third Republican said Harris "certainly got under [Trump's] skin" and their fellow conference members agreed "she did well."

GOP lawmakers who spoke with Fox News Digital argued Trump’s policies and record are far stronger than Harris’ and were dismayed that they weren’t a larger part of his performance.

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"While he made many [good] points, she was able to slide out of every one of those arguments," the third Republican said. "We need to stop treating her like she’s Joe Biden, someone who can’t get her thoughts out, and treat her more like Hillary Clinton."

A fourth GOP lawmaker simply said when asked for their reaction to the debate, "I prefer not to answer questions about cats and dogs and immigrants."

Several Republicans privately expressed dismay at Trump's debate performance. (Win McNamee)

That person added as well, however, that Harris "had to present herself as a person with credibility and a policy agenda, she didn’t do that."

They said it was Trump’s own "fault" when asked if Harris successfully baited him, however.

Another Republican said they had not discussed the debate with GOP colleagues, explaining, "I think everybody’s just kind of bummed out."

"They set a trap, and he walked into it. He wasn’t helped, but there were so many easy things he could’ve said," the fifth lawmaker said. "You wanna talk about the border, the world on fire, inflation — that’s all he had to do. Instead, she poked and prodded until she got a reaction."

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A sixth GOP lawmaker simply smiled sheepishly, "I do think he missed some opportunities to highlight her record. And I’ll leave it at that."

A seventh Republican who spoke with Fox News Digital at the end of the debate on Tuesday night said Harris was "doing a good job provoking [Trump]."

"He’s right on policy but can’t keep a message," they complained.

The majority of House Republicans who spoke publicly praised Trump, though, with the top GOP leaders all declaring victory for the ex-president minutes after the debate.

Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., said in a statement Tuesday night, "Tonight, President Donald Trump exposed Vice President Kamala Harris for the dangerous radical she has always been."

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., praised Trump's performance, as did the vast majority of Republicans who spoke publicly. (Getty Images)

Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., who helped Trump prepare for the debate, told reporters on Wednesday that the ex-president "did a great job."

"Look, the debate was about immigration and the economy. Those are the issues where President Trump dominates with voters," he said.

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Trump himself posted on his Truth Social app just after the debate, "People are saying BIG WIN tonight!"

When reached for comment on this story, the Trump campaign pointed Fox News Digital to its statement on the debate from Tuesday night, which said in part, "President Trump delivered a masterful debate performance tonight, prosecuting Kamala Harris’ abysmal record of failure that has hurt Americans for the last 4 years."

"We saw President Trump lay out his bold vision of America and how he would continue to build upon the successes of his first term by supercharging the economy, securing the border, and stopping crime from ravaging communities across the country," the statement said.

"Conversely, Kamala’s vision of America was a dark reminder of the oppressive, big government policies of Joe Biden that she wants to continue."