Karl Rove Says ‘It Was a Mistake for Trump’ to Demean Kamala Harris Because That’s ‘Lowering the Bar’ for Her

Fox News contributor Karl Rove said former President Donald Trump has done himself no favors by demeaning Vice President Kamala Harris .

A few hours before Trump and Harris were to square off in Philadelphia in their first – and perhaps only – debate, Rove appeared on Special Report , where host Bret Baier asked him to weigh in on the upcoming debate.

“The bar is pretty low to get past where Joe Biden was in [the first] debate,” Baier said . “She may surprise.”

“She may,” Rove responded “And I think it was a mistake for Trump to basically diminish her, calling her stupid and lowering the bar for her because expectations matter a lot in these kind of things. And if the candidate who comes up tonight and appears to be more substantive and– if we use the word ‘presidential,’ I think is gonna have an advantage in the aftermath of this.”

Rove’s observation echoed that of CNN commentator Maggie Haberman back in June when Biden was the nominee. Haberman said there was concern in the Trump campaign that the ex-president’s relentless attacks on Biden’s cognitive abilities would lower expectations too much. Subsequently, Biden turned in a disastrous performance.

“It is tight and it’s gonna remain tight,” Rove continued. “This is gonna be, very little movement. But a little movement matters a lot when you have a race as tight as this one is.”

Rove went on to say the race is “localized” because the election is likely to come down to “six, maybe seven states in which this is gonna fought.”

Watch above via Fox News.