EXCLUSIVE: House Republicans are privately expressing frustration with former President Trump’s performance in his debate against Vice President Kamala Harris on Tuesday.

Several House Democrats, speaking on condition of anonymity to speak freely, acknowledged that Trump had “missed” opportunities to effectively attack Harris and tout his own record. Some said the prevailing view within the House Republican Party was that Harris had successfully provoked him on multiple occasions – but most argued that ultimately this would have little impact on Election Day.

“It was horrible. I think that’s a comment you hear from everyone,” a senior House Republican told Fox News Digital.

“The terrible thing is that he had so many opportunities to follow her and he didn’t. He got caught on the hook that she was dragging through the water.”

There was a clear winner in the Trump-Harris duel, but I don’t think this election is over.

Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Trump appear during the second presidential debate at the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Philadelphia on Tuesday. (Getty Images)

Another Republican member of the House of Representatives went even further, calling the debate a “dumpster fire” for the former president.

“It was some of the worst bloodshed I’ve ever seen,” the congressman said. “But it’s also about the optics themselves – Trump looks old next to Kamala Harris. He didn’t look old against Biden … and you can’t change that.”

While most Republicans ignored the debate’s ultimate impact on the election, this congressman worried: “I think it will affect the people in the middle who matter.”

A third Republican said Harris “certainly got under Trump’s skin,” and other conference members agreed that she “did a good job.”

Speaking to Fox News Digital, Republican lawmakers argued that Trump’s policies and record were far more compelling than Harris’s and expressed dismay that they had not played a greater role in his performance.

Harris tells Trump during the debate that he is “not running against Joe Biden.”

“Even though he made a lot of (good) arguments, she was able to wriggle out of every one of those arguments,” the third Republican said. “We need to stop treating her like Joe Biden, someone who can’t speak his mind, and treat her more like Hillary Clinton.”

When asked about his reaction to the debate, a fourth GOP congressman simply said: “I prefer not to answer questions about cats, dogs and immigrants.”

Several Republicans privately expressed dismay at Trump’s performance during the debate. (Win McNamee)

However, the person also added that Harris “needed to present herself as a person with credibility and a political agenda, which she failed to do.”

However, when asked whether Harris had successfully provoked him, they said it was Trump’s own “fault.”

Another Republican said they had not discussed the debate with their Republican colleagues, saying, “I think everyone is just a little depressed.”

“They set a trap for him and he fell into it. He was not helped, but there were so many simple things he could have said,” said the fifth MP. “They wanted to talk about the border, the burning world, inflation – that was all he had to do. Instead, she poked and poked until she got a reaction.”

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A sixth GOP congressman just smiled sheepishly: “I think he missed some opportunities to highlight her accomplishments. And I’ll leave it at that.”

A seventh Republican, speaking to Fox News Digital at the end of Tuesday night’s debate, said Harris was doing a good job of provoking (Trump).

“He is right in his politics, but he cannot convey his message,” they complained.

However, the majority of Republicans in the House of Representatives who spoke publicly praised Trump, and Republican Party leaders declared the former president the winner just minutes after the debate.

Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana) said in a statement Tuesday evening: “Tonight, President Donald Trump exposed Vice President Kamala Harris as the dangerous radical she has always been.”

Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson praised Trump’s performance, as did the vast majority of Republicans who spoke publicly. (Getty Images)

Republican Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida, who helped Trump prepare for the debate, told reporters on Wednesday that the former president had done a “great job.”

“Look, the debate was about immigration and the economy. Those are the issues where President Trump dominates with voters,” he said.

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Trump himself posted on his app Truth Social immediately after the debate: “People are saying: Big win tonight!”

When asked for comment on this story, the Trump campaign referred Fox News Digital to its statement on Tuesday night’s debate, which read in part: “President Trump delivered a masterful debate performance tonight, laying bare Kamala Harris’ disastrous record of failure that has harmed Americans over the past four years.”

“We saw President Trump lay out his bold vision for America and how he would build on the successes of his first term by growing the economy, securing the border and stopping crime from ravaging communities across the country,” the statement said.

“Conversely, Kamala’s vision of America was a grim reminder of Joe Biden’s repressive big-government policies, which she seeks to continue.”