The betting markets, known for their cold, analytical approach, showed little enthusiasm for Kamala Harris’s performance during her trainwreck CNN interview on Thursday night. Despite being the Democratic nominee for the 2024 presidential election, Harris’s appearance didn’t seem to impress those placing bets on the election’s outcome.
According to feedback from two major bookmakers, as reported by Newsweek, Harris’s odds took a hit after her pre-taped conversation with Dana Bash, where she was joined by Tim Walz. Before the interview, Harris was slightly favored to win the presidency, with odds of 10/11 (indicating a 52.4 percent chance of victory) from Star Sports. However, by Friday morning, her odds had shifted, putting her in a tie with Donald Trump at 19/20 (51.3 percent) each.
Meanwhile, Trump’s odds of winning the election improved during the same period. Betfair, a U.K.-based bookmaker, noted that Trump’s chances increased from 21/20 (48.8 percent) to 20/21 (51.2 percent) following the interview. This shift suggests that Trump’s campaign may have gained momentum as Harris’s performance failed to sway bettors in her favor.
William Kedjanyi, an analyst at Star Sports, commented on the situation, saying, “Vice President Harris is now tied at 19/20 with Republican candidate Donald Trump, drifting slightly from 10/11 yesterday. The Californian had been 5/6 in recent weeks, but she has failed to surge ahead of Trump in the market.” He further noted that this development could give GOP supporters hope that Trump might tip the scales in his favor as the November election approaches.
Betfair spokesperson Sam Rosbottom echoed this sentiment, expressing skepticism about Harris’s impact on the race. “Before Kamala Harris’ sit-down interview with CNN overnight, the Betfair Exchange market had more or less been neck and neck,” he said. “While the lead in the betting has flip-flopped throughout August, momentum is now with Trump, and he has become the odds-on favorite again after being backed into 21/20.”
Thursday’s interview marked the first time Harris had faced unscripted questions since being named the Democratic nominee, with Joe Biden stepping aside. The betting markets’ reaction to her performance suggests that Harris has yet to solidify her position as the frontrunner, leaving the race to the White House more uncertain than ever.
I read that she was given the questions ahead of time, (approximately 30) of which only 5 were given. This bogus interview was also edited before airing, so what “we” saw was the best!??? 😂😂😂