Kamala
Harris is holed up in a hotel in Pittsburgh. Aides are teasing Donald Trump
informally. Regarding why this discussion is so important, both sides hold the
same opinion.
In anticipation of the debate on
Tuesday night, Vice President Kamala Harris has spent the last five days
sequestered in a Pittsburgh hotel, practicing her highly rehearsed debating
routines. A replica TV is set up, along with a stage and an adviser dressed in
full Lee Strasberg method acting regalia. The adviser is not merely portraying
Donald J. Trump; he is inhabiting him, complete with boxy suit and long tie.
The previous president is making
more of an ad hoc preparation. They are specifically referred to as
"policy time," not "debate prep," with the intention of
reminding him of his record. No one is pretending to be Ms. Harris;
occasionally he moves a chair closer to his assistants, or they sit at a long
table across from him and trade questions. So far, Mr. Trump has only convened
a few meetings; he even skipped one at his hotel in Las Vegas to accompany his
advisors to his apartment to hear Ms. Harris's convention speech.
Almost two dozen people close to the
candidates were interviewed; many of them insisted on anonymity to discuss the
private preparations, despite the fact that the two camps could not be more
different in how they are gearing up for the big night in Philadelphia. For
millions of swing voters who are aware of their opinions about Mr. Trump but
are still unsure about her, the Harris and Trump teams view this as a critical
opportunity to define Ms. Harris.
Ms. Harris prioritizes coming across as composed and presidential
while also bringing out the worst aspects of Mr. Trump's self-destructive
tendencies.
In an interview on Thursday, Hillary Clinton—the final female candidate to
debate Mr. Trump—stated, "She should not be baited, she should bait
him." "He merely stammered onto the stage when I told him he was a
Russian puppet. I believe that's an illustration of how to reveal something
about him that truly makes him uncomfortable.
Representative Matt Gaetz of
Florida, who has attended Mr. Trump's debate preparation sessions, has taken up
the task of pressing him on difficult topics, such as his past convictions,
according to a someone with knowledge of the meetings. Additionally assisting
Mr. Trump in his preparation is Tulsi Gabbard, the former Democratic congresswoman
who famously attacked Ms. Harris during a 2019 presidential primary discussion.
The danger that Mr. Trump may come across as unduly
combative, as he did during his first, catastrophic debate with Joseph R. Biden
Jr. in 2020—during which the Covid-19-afflicted Mr. Trump perspirated copiously
and constantly interrupted his opponent—is a concern that his advisors are well
aware of.
Trump's advisors are concerned that he won't be able to control his feelings of
deep disdain for Ms. Harris or his tendency to act as though he is lecturing a
female opponent.
Although he thought Ms. Clinton was "smart" and a
hard worker, aides and allies claim that Mr. Trump clearly thinks Ms. Harris is
stupid. He gossips about her previous love encounters, including one with
Willie Brown, the former mayor of San Francisco, and describes her in a
misogynistic manner in private.
In addition to making a policy-based argument against Ms. Harris, the former
president's advisors and allies have advised him to be a "happy
Trump" in the discussion as opposed to a "mean, bully Trump," as
one close associate characterized it. That strategy also has certain risks: A
supporter cautioned that if Mr. Trump attempted to maintain his impeccable
demeanor, he may overcorrect and appear to have "low energy."
The Trump team also anticipates that he will be confronted
with difficult questions regarding abortion, a subject on which he has been
erratic in recent weeks, seemingly unsure of how to take the stand.
The Trump team's clear objective for the discussion is to make Ms. Harris own
her alliance with the divisive Mr. Biden and accept accountability for the
aspects of his presidency that the electorate finds most offensive. Mr. Trump
has given specific attention to issues like public safety, immigration, the
high cost of living, and upheaval worldwide, particularly in the Middle East
and Ukraine.
When asked about the campaign's debate approach, Mr. Trump's
senior adviser Jason Miller responded, "You can't 'turn the page' when you're
singularly responsible for the current economic and border nightmare our
country is living through."
The goal of Mr. Trump's team is to replicate the iconic moment from his 1980
debate with President Jimmy Carter, in which Mr. Reagan asked the audience if
they were better off now than before Mr. Carter took office.
Additionally, Ms. Harris has hinted at her strategy for taking on Mr. Trump.
She hasn't concentrated only on
depicting the former president as a serious danger to American democracy, in
contrast to Mr. Biden. She has attempted to downplay him as an elderly, stale
performer who is reciting the same old script. Additionally, she has presented
him as a wealthy man who only thinks about assisting other wealthy men, which
is a populist line of attack that appeals to voters in focus groups.
Additionally, Ms. Harris has
abandoned Mrs. Clinton's misguided tactic of labeling Mr. Trump as a sexist and
racist. Given how difficult it is to find a voter who does not already have a
fixed image of Mr. Trump's character—good or bad—the vice president's aides
feel it is a waste of time to tell voters what a horrible guy Mr. Trump is. Ms.
Harris is attempting to reach out to the small percentage of voters who are
still unsure about their choice but are depressed about the state of the
economy and anxious about the future. They want to know what each candidate
would do to better their lot in life.
And Ms. Harris and the individuals staying in the hotel with
her do not underestimate Mr. Trump, in spite of all the clamor in liberal
circles that he is ruining his campaign with his reckless behavior.
The fact that Mr. Trump, who argued with Mr. Biden in person in June, has more
recent debate experience than the vice president presents one obstacle for Ms.
Harris. She has to attempt to decompress while imagining what it will be like
to be in close proximity to someone she has never met but who has criticized
her political background, her policies, and even her race.
Ms. Harris is getting ready for racial, political, and
interpersonal attacks.
Karen Dunn, a Democratic lawyer who also assisted Mrs. Clinton in preparing for
debates, has been facilitating Ms. Harris's sessions at the Omni William Penn
Hotel in Pittsburgh. Rohini Kosoglu, the Senate chief of staff and former
domestic policy adviser to Ms. Harris, is Ms. Dunn's co-pilot.
According to those briefed on the process, a few more people that Ms. Harris
feels comfortable with and who she can rely on to give honest criticism have
joined the sessions.
Among them is political consultant Sean Clegg, who served as
Ms. Harris's chief strategist during her 2020 campaign. People who deal with
Mr. Clegg describe his talent as being able to recognize Ms. Harris's voice and
urge her to talk in an understandable manner; if he hears something that seems
too complex, he will flag it for her. Former Hillary Clinton staffer Philippe
Reines is playing Mr. Trump again from 2016.
At his exclusive club in Bedminster, New Jersey, on Tuesday, the Trump team had
a three-hour debate preparation session. There will be further seminars on
Sunday and Monday.
Congressman Gaetz of Florida, who was part in the plans, remained silent when
questioned about them.
On Friday, he texted, "President Trump doesn't do
debate prep." "He meets with advisors on a regular basis to discuss
how he can protect the border, save costs, and put an end to the havoc that Joe
Biden and Kamala Harris are causing throughout the world. Just another
Mar-a-Lago day!
To be exact, Mr. Trump has put in more preparation for the 2024 debates than he
did for the ones in 2016 and 2020 combined.
He has been informed of Ms. Harris's vocal tics and previous debate
performances. He vividly recalls her moment of fame in 2020 at her debate with
Vice President Mike Pence, during which she interrupted him by declaring,
"I'm speaking."
"I'm not going to let her do to
me what she did to Mike," Mr. Trump has reportedly said in private to
colleagues in reference to the discussion. When the candidates are not
speaking, he was willing to let his advisors handle microphone muting. (Ms.
Harris's staff had been advocating for the unmuting of microphones in the hopes
that Mr. Trump would speak loudly over her and provide her with a chance to
respond sharply.) The two contenders will debate from behind lecterns, away
from an actual audience.
One of his least favorite networks,
ABC News, is hosting the debate, and Mr. Trump has often played with the idea
of pulling out in private. (At this time, no more debates are planned.) He has
blasted about what he sees as its unjust treatment of him and suggested
discussions on other networks. He despises ABC's popular anchor George
Stephanopoulos in particular, calling him "Slopadopoulos."
This year, Mr. Trump sued Mr.
Stephanopoulos for defamation over an interview pertaining to one of the former
president's legal battles. During the debate, Mr. Trump's advisors informed ABC
that he would not agree to a moderatorship by Mr. Stephanopoulos. Additionally,
Mr. Trump has taken issue with Rachel Scott, an ABC News reporter, for posing
direct questions to him at a recent gathering of Black journalists. During the
exchange, Mr. Trump questioned Ms. Harris's race. (In the end, Linsey Davis and
David Muir of ABC News hosted the debate.)
In the end, Mr. Trump came to the
conclusion that his reservations about attending the debate were overshadowed
by the drawbacks of staying home, particularly the perception of weakness. He's
assured colleagues that he gets along well with Mr. Muir and is confident in
his choice to moderate one of the debates.
Post Tag- Trump-Harris Debate, Trump, Harris, USA Election2024
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