Date of Post: September 12, 2024, 02:10h.
Last modified on: September 12, 2024, 02:10h.
Tuesday evening’s discussion between Vice President Kamala and former President Donald Trump drew an estimated 67.1 million viewers, the Nielsen company mentioned today.
Even though the Harris-Trump debate did not reach the record 84 million viewers who watched Trump’s initial debate with Hillary Clinton in 2016, Tuesday surpassed Trump’s earlier debate with President Joe Biden in June that had 51.3 million viewers. Tuesday also fell short of the 73.1 million viewers for the first debate between Trump and Biden in 2020.
Political bettors believed Harris won the debate. Consequently, her chances of winning the Nov. 5 contest have improved in the hours and days following the event.
On Polymarket, Harris’ implied chances of winning the 2024 presidential election are at 50% or even odds. Prior to the debate, which kicked off with Harris making an effort to shake hands with the former casino tycoon who seemed uninterested in greeting her, a moment that proved beneficial for bettors who wagered on the handshake, Harris’ implied odds were as low as 45%.
Trump’s chances have decreased from 53% before the debate to 49% at present. Nearly $900 million has been wagered on the Polymarket competition.
Expensive Outcome
In addition to Trump’s 2024 odds decreasing following what many considered a poor performance, his showing cost him significant money — at least on paper.
Stocks of Trump Media & Technology Group (NASDAQ: DJT) plummeted after the Tuesday event. The parent company of Trump’s Truth Social media platform, which intends to launch a streaming subscription service called TMTG+ featuring “non-woke” entertainment and conservative news programming, saw its stock price drop nearly 20% on Wednesday.
Trump owns approximately 60% of the company’s outstanding shares. DJT’s value has decreased by over 75% since its peak closing price of $66.22 on March 27. It is currently trading around $16.
Trump’s media group reclaimed the “DJT” stock symbol on Wall Street. This ticker was previously used when Trump took Trump Hotels and Casino Resorts public in 1995.
The DJT ticker was in use until 2004 when the company went bankrupt. Upon creating a new gaming entity — Trump Entertainment Resorts — in the same year, the company traded under the symbol TRMP.
Harris Preferred
William Hill, a major bookmaker in the United Kingdom, reported a surge in bets on Harris following the debate. William Hill was not alone, as several other High Street bookmakers adjusted their election odds in favor of Harris.
As of Thursday afternoon, Harris’ odds of becoming the 47th president stand at 4/5 (-125). A successful $100 bet on this line, indicating an almost 56% chance, would yield $80. Trump’s odds are even money (+100), with a successful $100 bet doubling the stake.
The national polling average as of September 12 shows Harris with 47.9% support compared to Trump’s 46.7%. However, the election outcome will be determined by several crucial battleground states, including Pennsylvania, Arizona, Georgia, Nevada, Michigan, and Wisconsin.
In Nevada, the largest union of casino employees is actively encouraging people to vote in favor of Harris. The Culinary Union’s endorsement of Harris is not surprising, as the union has not backed a Republican presidential candidate in decades. Previously, the union had endorsed Biden until he withdrew from the 2024 race.