Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump met in Philadelphia last night in their first presidential debate, tackling an array of national issues. However, following the debate, Trump has faced backlash over numerous statements deemed false or misleading, with public opinion leaning in Harris's favor as the winner.

To shed light on the debate, Morning Brief welcomes Brookings Institution senior fellow in governance studies E.J. Dionne.

Dionne — also a columnist at the Washington Post — believes that Harris "overwhelmed" Donald Trump throughout the debate, setting a strong tone from the very beginning. He notes how Harris approached Trump to shake hands despite his reluctance. She then took control by formally introducing herself, stating "I'm Kamala Harris," ensuring her name was correctly pronounced and acknowledged.

According to Dionne, this exchange "set the tone for the night," with the vice president maintaining an offensive edge while Trump was viewed in a defensive light.

Dionne points out that Trump's performance was ruined by his false statements and frequent diversions from the topics at hand. "It's just hard to see that debate as anything else but an overwhelming victory for her [Harris]," he tells Yahoo Finance.

For more expert insight and the latest market action, click here to watch this full episode of Morning Brief.

This post was written by Angel Smith