This statistic shows the opinion of respondents on who was the winner of the first presidential debate between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump, held on September 26, 2016, for the 2016 U.S. presidential election. Of those polled, 62 percent thought Hillary Clinton won the first debate.
Public opinion on who won the first debate of the 2016 U.S. presidential election between Clinton and Trump
Characteristic
Share of respondents
Clinton
62%
Trump
27%
Both equally
6%
Neither
4%
No opinion
1%
0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%
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This question was phrased by the source as follows: "Regardless of which candidate you happen to support, who do you think did the best job in the debate – Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump?"
26 percent of respondents identified as Republicans, 41 percent identified as Democrats, 33 percent identified as Independents
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CNN. (September 27, 2016). Public opinion on who won the first debate of the 2016 U.S. presidential election between Clinton and Trump [Graph]. In Statista. Retrieved April 06, 2025, from https://www.statista.com/statistics/612911/winner-of-first-debate-us-presidential-election/
CNN. "Public opinion on who won the first debate of the 2016 U.S. presidential election between Clinton and Trump." Chart. September 27, 2016. Statista. Accessed April 06, 2025. https://www.statista.com/statistics/612911/winner-of-first-debate-us-presidential-election/
CNN. (2016). Public opinion on who won the first debate of the 2016 U.S. presidential election between Clinton and Trump. Statista. Statista Inc.. Accessed: April 06, 2025. https://www.statista.com/statistics/612911/winner-of-first-debate-us-presidential-election/
CNN. "Public Opinion on Who Won The First Debate of The 2016 U.S. Presidential Election between Clinton and Trump." Statista, Statista Inc., 27 Sep 2016, https://www.statista.com/statistics/612911/winner-of-first-debate-us-presidential-election/
CNN, Public opinion on who won the first debate of the 2016 U.S. presidential election between Clinton and Trump Statista, https://www.statista.com/statistics/612911/winner-of-first-debate-us-presidential-election/ (last visited April 06, 2025)
Public opinion on who won the first debate of the 2016 U.S. presidential election between Clinton and Trump [Graph], CNN, September 27, 2016. [Online]. Available: https://www.statista.com/statistics/612911/winner-of-first-debate-us-presidential-election/
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