CHICAGO — Vice President Kamla Harris and Former president Donald Trump have never met in person, but on Tuesday night they will share a stage together in the biggest moment of the campaign since Harris took over for Joe Biden at the top of the Democratic ticket.
It is gearing up to be a crucial showdown in Philadelphia as Harris faces off against Trump in a 90-minute debate, offering the candidates a chance to draw contrasts before a TV audience of tens of millions.
“The stakes are high, particularly for Vice President Harris, I think, because she’s still in the phase of reintroducing herself to the country,” Former Illinois Republican Party chair Pat Brady said.
Harris has prepared by holding mock debates. She is expected to lean into abortion issues and try to get under Trump’s skin.
Over the weekend, Harris reportedly spoke on the phone with Hillary Clinton, who faced Trump in 2016.
“I think he’s going to lie and, you know, he has a playbook that he has used in the past,” Harris said in a radio interview last week.
Trump does not do traditional debate prep, but aides are said to have warned him to steer clear of verbal asides or attacks.
“What he needs to do to be successful is to stay on policy, stay disciplined, act like a president and don’t get petty,” Brady said.
In the lead up to the debate, Trump hit the campaign trail where he threw bombs at Harris.
“We’re run by stupid people. Stupid, stupid people. And we found that out at the debate with Joe. How did that work out? And we’re going to find it out again on Tuesday night,” Trump said at a rally.
Polls show the presidential contest a dead heat, both nationally and in key battleground states. With so much on the line on Tuesday night, the candidates and their surrogates are working to set expectations.
“He’s a very good debater, frankly. Maybe not a traditional debater, but he likes to disrupt debates, and that’s his way of winning. We’ll see what happens tonight. I think Kamala Harris is capable of managing through that but it’s not easy. This guy’s an actor, he’s an entertainer and he’s a liar,” Illinois Governor JB Pritzker said.
Vice presidential candidates JD Vance and Tim Walz are set to face off on Oct. 1.