The Big Mistake Trump's Camp Made Before The Debate Even Started

Many of us get jumpy when we have to send out timed emails, particularly if they're important. So we can't really blame the trigger-happy Trump aide who sent out a debate victory/fundraising email hours before the face-off even started. 

The Trump campaign kick-started what promised to be a contentious first presidential debate hours before it even began by sending an email to supporters with the subject line declaring: "I finished debating Joe Biden." The email goes one to say, "This debate will go down in HISTORY. I showed the American People that I will ALWAYS fight to put America First no matter what and that I will NEVER stop working to Make America Great Again." He also expressed disappointment that the email recipient "chose not to step up and help make TODAY our BEST fundraising day EVER" (via Twitter). 

This wouldn't be the first time a debate email claiming victory would be sent out during this campaign. Joe Biden's campaign accidentally sent out a similar email asking his supporters if he had made them proud before his appearance at the fifth Democratic debate, which had yet to start. "I'm leaving the fifth Democratic debate now. I hope I made you proud out there, and I hope I made it clear to the world why our campaign is so important," the email read (via Politico).

Detractors on social media duly responded to the mistake, with one Twitter user responding: "Maybe he doesn't want his supporters to watch, so he's telling them it's already done. Hell, he pisses on their shoes and tells them it's raining on a daily basis and they buy it. I'm sure they're dumb enough to believe the debate already happened." A second reacted to the fundraising plea, saying: "Dang that bullying fundraising tone reads like a low T commercial. 'Are you MAN enough to give a lifelong tax cheat your money?'" A third said: "Does that mean they're going to claim the debate is pre-taped and edited by the liberal media?" 

Trump's supporters weren't going to let this slide, though. One responded to the tweet by saying: "Moments ago... Biden: 'Wait, I already debated him once? I need to do better at the next debate. I can't let Trump beat me again. Call another lid right now!'" — playing up to the GOP's stance that Democratic contender Joe Biden was not in possession of his mental faculties. Another called the email for what it was: "I hope you're as shocked as I am that campaigns plan their emails ahead of time."

The situation was summed up by one tweet which said: "These guys are a well-oiled machine!"