Democratic presidential nominee and Vice President Kamala Harris and Republican presidential nominee and former President Donald Trump are looking starkly different in their preparations for Tuesday’s (September 10, 2024) presidential debate, setting up a clash that reflects not just two different visions for the country but also two politicians who view big moments very differently.
The vice president is staying at a historic hotel in downtown Pittsburgh, where she can focus on the short, two-minute answers required by debate rules. She has been working with aides since Thursday to pick a venue that gives the Democratic nominee options to mingle with swing-state voters.
Mr. Trump publicly dismisses the importance of studying for the debates. The former president is instead choosing to spend his days at campaign-related events, on the grounds that he will know exactly what to do once he steps onto the debate stage at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia.
“You can have all the tactics you want, but you have to feel it out during the debate,” he said in a town hall with Fox News host Sean Hannity.
Mr Trump then quoted former boxer great Mike Tyson, who said, “Everybody has a plan until they get punched in the face.” Ms Harris has said she is willing to put up with Mr Trump saying outrageous things and misrepresenting the facts, while her campaign has seen value in focusing on the middle class and the country’s prospects for a better future.
“We have to be prepared for the fact that he will not have to shoulder the burden of telling the truth,” Harris said in a radio interview for the Rickey Smiley Morning Show. “He fights not for the American people, but for himself, and I think that will come across during the debate.” In her own preparation, Ms. Harris has asked Democratic consultant Philippe Reines, a longtime aide to Hillary Clinton, to play Trump. She likes to describe Trump as having a “playbook” of lies against Democrats such as Clinton and former President Barack Obama.
Ms Harris has said she understands Trump on a deep psychological level. She has sought to show in speeches such as hers at the Democratic National Convention that she would be a stronger leader than him – an argument that plays into Trump’s own desire to show strength.
Mister. Trump debates against President Joe Biden on June 27 The election was a rollercoaster, with Mr Biden’s disastrous performance eventually leading him to step down as the Democratic nominee and endorse Harris. Both campaigns know that the first in-person meeting between Harris and Trump could be the defining event in a tightly contested race.
Mr Trump has been criticising the ABC News debate moderator, claiming he was not treated fairly. But he said he would let Ms Harris speak, as he did during his debate with Mr Biden.
“I’ll let her speak. I’ll let her speak,” he said during the Hannity town hall.
Mr Trump’s aides said the debate this time around would be no different from previous debates and that the former president would not do any traditional preparations. There are no stand-ins, no sets, no drama.
Instead, they point to Trump’s frequent interviews, including answering questions at lengthy press conferences, listening to hours of podcasts, and participating in town halls with friendly hosts like Hannity.
Mr. Trump also regularly meets with policy advisers who specialize in the issues that will arise during the debates. During these informal sessions, they talk about the issues, Mr. Trump’s policies while he was in office, and the plans he has put forward for a second term.
“I have meetings on it. We talk about it. But there’s not much you can do. You either know your subject or you don’t. You either have a good policy or you don’t,” he said in a New Hampshire radio interview.
Before the last debate, Mr Trump held sessions with notable Republicans such as Florida Senator Marco Rubio, who was then under consideration as Mr Trump’s vice presidential running mate. This time he has held sessions with former Democratic congresswoman and Democratic presidential candidate Tulsi Gabbard, who is now endorsing Mr Trump.
Gabbard, who is now also a member of Mr Trump’s transition team, was brought in specifically to help Trump this time around because she knows Harris, having debated with him when the two were running for the Democratic nomination in 2020. She also recently hosted a town hall with Trump in Wisconsin.
Mr. Trump, aides say, wants to put Harris on the defensive. He wants to make her appear too moderate, as he tries to link her to Biden’s economic record and point to her reversals on issues like the fracking ban, which she no longer supports.
“We look forward to the opportunity for Americans to see him on stage, unable to defend his policies and vacillating attitude,” said Trump campaign spokeswoman Carolyn Levitt. “The president has proven he has a grasp on the issues, while she does not.” Ms Harris’s team hopes Trump will prove too extreme and that they can use the debate to build on the momentum her small campaign has built. The campaign plans to use the weekend before the debate to hold 2,000 events with volunteers and reach out to more than a million voters.
“With hundreds of offices and thousands of staffers in battleground states, we’re able to capitalize on all the buzz around the debates and reach hard-to-reach voters,” Dan Kanninen, the campaign’s battleground states director, said in a statement.
Published – September 07, 2024 11:40 am IST