Ms. Harris practiced debates, finding ways to provoke her opponent while Mr. Trump did not change his preparation method compared to when facing Mr. Biden.
Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump and Democratic challenger Kamala Harris will debate on September 10 at an event hosted by ABC News in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
This will be the first time Mr. Trump, 78, and Ms. Harris, 59, will face each other face to face. Both candidates are preparing for this important event with their advisers. How they perform on stage will have a huge impact on the campaign, possibly creating a turning point on the road to the White House.
Ms. Kamala Harris and Mr. Donald Trump. Photo: Reuters
Harris’s team of advisers includes her brother-in-law and former assistant attorney general Tony West, longtime aide Rohini Kosoglu, senior campaign policy adviser Brian Nelson and Josh Hsu, Harris’s chief legal adviser at the White House. She needs to differentiate herself, avoid making the same mistakes as Biden and stay calm so she doesn’t get sucked into the former president’s personal attacks.
Harris rehearsed with a Trump impersonator, Democratic strategist Philippe Reines, a longtime adviser to former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Reines played a similar role when Clinton ran for president in 2016. During rehearsals, Reines wore a red tie similar to Trump’s “trademark image,” according to a source close to the campaign.
Preparations focused on a variety of topics and Q&A sessions. Harris and her team also looked for ways to provoke Trump to unnerve him. They wanted to portray Harris as a fearless, unyielding woman who would stand up to Trump.
Harris’ campaign also wants to “remind people of the time when Trump was in office,” a source familiar with the matter said.
The vice president could mention Trump’s failure to force Mexico to pay for a wall along the southern US border, the former president’s handling of Covid-19, and his desire to repeal the Affordable Care Act (ACA) but failing to offer an alternative.
The Democratic candidate also plans to target his opponent’s age and vague policy proposals. After Mr. Biden, 81, withdrew, Mr. Trump became the oldest candidate from a major party to run for president of the United States.
The vice president is scheduled to arrive in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on September 5, where he will hold campaign events before heading to Philadelphia. The strategy is similar to Barack Obama’s re-election campaign in 2012, when he spent several days in the battleground state of Nevada before his first debate with Republican rival Mitt Romney in Denver, Colorado.
US Vice President Kamala Harris speaks at the Democratic National Convention at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois, on August 22. Photo: AFP
Meanwhile, Karoline Leavitt, Mr Trump’s press secretary, said the former president did not need to prepare for a debate in the traditional way.
“Trump has proven himself to be one of the best debaters in political history, as evidenced by his demolition of Biden,” Leavitt said, referring to the Trump-Biden debate in late June. “Unlike Harris, Trump knows the issues, regularly gives interviews and takes questions from hostile media almost every day.”
The former president did not rehearse with the Harris impersonator, a source familiar with the matter said. In some meetings, Trump aides acted as moderators, but mainly provided information, occasionally asking questions.
Trump’s team includes senior advisers Jason Miller, Vince Haley and Stephen Miller. Florida Congressman Matt Gaetz, who helped Trump debate Biden, is also said to be contributing this time. Another difference from the past is that Tulsi Gabbard, who competed against Harris for the Democratic nomination in 2020, has joined Trump’s campaign.
The former president’s team is hoping for a similar outcome to the June debate. But some allies acknowledge that Harris is a tougher opponent than the White House chief, and they are also concerned about the tone of Trump’s attacks on Harris, which could make a bad impression when directed at a woman.
Allies have advised Trump to emphasize inflation and immigration. They believe the best way to win in November is to link Harris to areas where Biden has not won much support, especially the economy and immigration.
When attacked by Ms. Harris on the Covid-19 issue, Mr. Trump can also point out that the number of deaths from the pandemic under Mr. Biden is higher than under Trump, due to the current President’s failure in his efforts to tighten regulations on masks and vaccinations.
Former President Donald Trump at an event in La Crosse, Wisconsin on August 29. Photo: AFP
Mr. Trump had been leading Mr. Biden in the polls, but after the Democratic Party switched candidates, the race changed. Ms. Harris helped the Democratic Party narrow the gap, even leading Mr. Trump in national polls.
According to observers, the debate will be an opportunity for American voters to witness the two candidates present solutions to difficult questions about the country’s economy, immigration and foreign policy.
“The event could attract record viewership, along with a series of commentary articles. This is an opportunity for Harris to erase doubts that she is incapable of debating, and for Trump to restart his campaign, after his Democratic opponent’s position improved rapidly in the polls,” said Todd Landman, an observer of American politics at the University of Nottingham, UK.