Kamala Harris and Donald Trump are preparing for Tuesday’s presidential debate, employing vastly different approaches that highlight their contrasting political styles and visions for the nation. The vice president is taking a meticulous, focused approach, while Trump has opted for a more improvisational strategy, relying on instinct over extensive preparation.
Harris has chosen a historic hotel in downtown Pittsburgh as her base, where she can concentrate on crafting precise two-minute responses, in line with the debate’s rules. Aides have been working with her since Thursday, and her chosen location offers the additional benefit of allowing her to engage with voters in the crucial swing state.
Meanwhile, Trump, the Republican candidate, has largely dismissed traditional debate preparation. Instead of intensive rehearsals, he continues to attend campaign events, believing he will be prepared once he steps on stage at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia.
“You can go in with all the strategy you want, but you have to sort of feel it out as the debate’s taking place,” Trump remarked during a town hall hosted by Sean Hannity on Fox News. He reinforced his point by quoting former boxing champion Mike Tyson, saying, “Everybody has a plan until they get punched in the face.”
Harris is well aware of Trump’s potential to throw insults and misrepresent facts during the debate. However, her campaign sees value in remaining focused on issues that matter to middle-class Americans, such as economic growth and the nation’s future.
“We should be prepared for the fact that he is not burdened by telling the truth,” Harris noted in a radio interview with the Rickey Smiley Morning Show. “He tends to fight for himself, not for the American people, and I think that’s going to come out during the course of the debate.”
In her preparation, Harris has been working with Philippe Reines, a Democratic consultant and former aide to Hillary Clinton, who is standing in as Trump during her practice sessions. Harris has frequently criticized Trump’s approach, accusing him of following a “playbook” of falsehoods used against prominent Democrats like Clinton and Barack Obama.
Harris also claims that she understands Trump’s mindset on a psychological level, which has shaped her strategy for confronting him in the debate. During speeches such as her remarks at the Democratic National Convention, she has sought to position herself as a stronger leader than Trump, a direct challenge to his focus on projecting strength.
Trump’s debate against President Joe Biden on June 27 reshaped the election, ultimately leading Biden to step aside as the Democratic nominee and throw his support behind Harris. Both campaigns are aware that Tuesday’s debate could be a pivotal moment in what has become a closely contested race.
Trump, who has repeatedly questioned the impartiality of the media, is already criticizing the ABC News moderators set to oversee the debate. Nevertheless, he insists he will let Harris speak, just as he did during his debate with Biden. “I let him talk. I’m gonna let her talk,” Trump said during the Hannity town hall.
Despite the lack of formal preparation, Trump’s team insists he is ready for the debate. According to his aides, the strategy will be similar to his approach in the previous debate—no stand-ins, no mock debate setups, and no elaborate rehearsals.
Trump’s aides point to his frequent appearances in interviews, long press conferences, and podcasts as his method of staying sharp on the issues. These informal sessions, they argue, help keep him well-versed in the topics that could arise during the debate.
“We have meetings on it. We talk about it. But there’s not a lot you can do. You either know your subject or not. You either have good policy or not,” Trump said in a New Hampshire radio interview.
Ahead of the previous debate, Trump prepared with prominent Republicans like Senator Marco Rubio, who was then under consideration as a potential running mate. This time, his team has turned to Tulsi Gabbard, the former Democratic congresswoman and presidential candidate who is now backing Trump. Gabbard, who debated Harris during the 2020 Democratic primary, has been brought in to help Trump fine-tune his strategy. She also recently hosted a town hall with Trump in Wisconsin.
Trump’s campaign is intent on putting Harris on the defensive, portraying her as too liberal and connecting her policies to Biden’s economic record. They plan to highlight her shifting stances on issues such as her previous support for a fracking ban, which she has since renounced.
“We look forward to the opportunity for Americans to see her on stage, incapable of defending her policies and flip-flops,” said Trump campaign spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt. “The president’s proven he has a command of the issues, she does not.”
Harris’s team is betting that Trump will come across as too extreme during the debate. They hope to use the event to build on the momentum generated by her relatively brief campaign. Over the weekend, the campaign plans to hold 2,000 events across the country, aiming to reach more than one million voters.
“With hundreds of offices and thousands of staff across the battlegrounds, we are able to harness all the buzz around the debate and break through to hard-to-reach voters,” Dan Kanninen, the campaign’s battleground states director, said in a statement.
The debate is shaping up to be a critical moment in the election, with both candidates keen to capitalize on the opportunity to sway undecided voters. For Trump, the goal is to paint Harris as out of touch with middle America, while Harris aims to show she is a more credible leader with a vision for a stronger, more united country.
As both candidates gear up for the high-stakes debate, their divergent approaches reflect not only their individual personalities but also the broader ideological battle at the heart of this election. Harris, with her disciplined preparation and focus on policy, is preparing to meet Trump’s unorthodox, instinct-driven approach head-on. The outcome of their clash could have far-reaching implications for the future of American politics.
