“I think he misspoke,” Sen. Tim Scott, R-South Carolina, a supporter of the President’s, told reporters on Capitol Hill.
“I think he should correct it,” Scott said. “If he doesn’t correct it, I guess he didn’t misspeak.”
Later, Trump made an attempt at clarification, telling reporters at the White House he’d never heard of the extremist group Proud Boys, whom he told to “stand by” the previous evening.
“I don’t know who Proud Boys are,” he said, departing for a campaign rally in Minnesota. “But whoever they are they have to stand down, let law enforcement do their work.”
But pressed on whether he welcomes support from white supremacists, Trump said only, “I want law and order — it’s a very important part of my campaign.”
And he continued to insist it was his rival Joe Biden who refused to condemn violence — “the problem is on the left,” he claimed — and declared victory in a debate even many of his closest allies believe went poorly.
As Americans woke up dazed from a bruising debate in which the President badgered and interrupted over the course of a chaotic 90-minute spectacle, it was Trump’s refusal to explicitly condemn white supremacist groups the night before that emerged as the night’s principal takeaway.
While Trump, according to his spokeswoman, was in “very good spirits” following the debate and his campaign insisted he “turned in the greatest debate performance in presidential history,” others around the President appeared less sure.
A number of the President’s advisers voiced concern he appeared overly aggressive and said the debating style he demonstrated Tuesday was not the tactic discussed among advisers during preparatory sessions beforehand.
Some of the President’s allies said Wednesday they believe he crashed and burned on a night that mattered to his reelection.
A source familiar with the President’s debate prep told CNN’s Dana Bash that they wanted him to be aggressive, but not act like Jason Voorhees from the “Friday the 13th” movies.
Trump had rehearsed an answer on race with his debate team in the likely event a question on the deadly 2017 protests in Charlottesville, Virginia, was asked, a person involved in the prep said. But when Wallace brought up the incident, Trump did not deploy the defense that was suggested to him, missing what the person described as a “perfect opportunity” because the question closely resembled what was discussed privately.
In conversations with several people who work for Trump, advise him or support him, all acknowledged Trump was too aggressive, touted few of his accomplishments and likely turned off the moderate voters he desperately needs to improve his standing.
“A disaster,” one adviser called it.
The performance left aides struggling to consider ways to improve in the final stretch of the campaign as time runs short.
Among the most charitable interpretations was that the debate “doesn’t move the needle one way or the other,” an adviser said — benefiting Biden, who is far and away the frontrunner at this stage in the race.
Talk has already begun among some aides over how to communicate a potential change in approach to Trump for his next debate, a town-hall style event on October 15 in Miami. Both the Trump and Biden campaigns affirmed late Tuesday they planned to participate.
One adviser said that Trump was most effective when he confronted Biden about his record and asked him questions.
“Do more of that,” the Trump adviser said.
Trump offered little indication he viewed his performance as anything but stellar.
“I thought it was a great evening,” Trump told reporters at the White House. “I think the ratings were very high. And it was good to be there, felt very comfortable and I appreciate all the good words.”
He also pinned blame on Wallace, the Fox News host who moderated the debate.
“Two on one was…
Read More: Trump’s allies offer public praise but privately worry after debate