Hill GOPers Aren’t Thrilled With Donald Trump’s Debate Performance

As his party’s former nominee, Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) arguably knows more about presidential debates than any other member of the U.S. Senate.

But when asked what he thought of Monday’s debate he couldn’t muster much excitement.

“I thought it was very interesting,” he said.

“You still backing Trump?” McCain was asked.

Then just in the nick of time, the Senate elevator doors closed.

Around Capitol Hill, there were a myriad of reasons Republican senators just didn’t catch the primetime debate that 80 million Americans made time for.

“I didn’t see it guys. I was on an airplane,” former Republican presidential candidate Marco Rubio (R-FL) said.

“I was at a fundraiser for my campaign. I didn’t see the whole thing and I don’t want to say something in the totality of the debate when I didn’t see the whole thing,” Sen. Johnny Isakson (R-GA), adding later that “it seemed like to me both of them were acquitting themselves adequately … holding their own given their issues.”

Debates are typically an opportunity for both sides to claim victory. Inboxes can be filled to the brim with press-release praise as members rally around their presumptive nominee. But on Capitol Hill, there was little glowing praise for Trump. Ted Cruz has finally endorsed Trump after refusing to do so in his primetime convention speech in July, but even he passed on the chance to elaborate on his approval.

“We put out a statement last night,” Cruz said.

A few members were seemingly disappointed with Trump’s missed opportunities to highlight and pivot at every turn to Clinton’s key vulnerabilities.

“I think it was a push. Neither one of them did a particularly good job of going to the undecideds,” Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC) said, adding that Trump has still continued to defy expectations even when he’s been discounted before.

But Tillis said that he was disappointed that Trump didn’t do more to bring up Clinton’s e-mail scandal or highlight her own foreign policy blunders. Was it a missed opportunity?

“There is no question about it,” Tillis said.

“For her to get a pass and act like she’s gotten past [the e-mail scandal], I don’t think that’s inappropriate. I think those are the sort of things that he should continue to make the American people [see] and remind them of because I think it will be consequential in November.”

Sen. Jeff Flake (R-AZ) has never been a Trump fan, but he also thought Trump could have done a lot more to challenge Clinton’s assertions on policy.

“It never got that serious,” Flake lamented.

The faintest praise may have come from the junior senator from Georgia.

“He was strong without being offensive, which I think surprised a lot of people last night,” said Sen. David Perdue (R-GA).

Additional reporting provided by Annie Rees