Vice President Kamala Harris is set to prioritize direct attacks on former president Donald Trump over detailed policy discussions in the upcoming ABC News presidential debate on Sept. 10 at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
According to an NBC News report, Harris' campaign team suggests that the vice president's debate strategy will focus more on challenging Trump directly on his record and character rather than touting the benefits of her policy proposals, as a policy-heavy discussion may not sway voters as much as direct personal attacks on Trump.
The vice president's team wants to bring up Trump's alleged "lies, failures and broken promises" to portray Harris as a strong, fearless candidate willing to take on the former president head-on.
"It's going to be less about substance and more about showcasing Harris as a woman who isn’t scared and isn’t going to cower and who is standing up to Trump and holding him accountable," the source told NBC News. Harris' campaign team believes rattling Trump with pointed personal criticisms could be more effective than engaging in specific policy debates.
Harris' campaign team plans to remind voters of the controversies associated with Trump's first term. These include his supposed failures in securing funding for a border wall, response to the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, proposed alternative healthcare plan after failing to repeal the Affordable Care Act, and alleged inability to pass a comprehensive infrastructure bill.
Moreover, Harris is expected to attack Trump on his opposition to the bipartisan border bill proposed by President Joe Biden earlier this year with support from some Republicans in Congress.
It failed to pass in the Senate, and Harris and her fellow Democrats have argued that the influence of Trump over Republican lawmakers contributed significantly to the failure of the bill to pass in the Senate. (Related: Kamala Harris to reduce illegal immigration by LEGALIZING it, not stopping it.)
This debate strategy is designed to paint Trump as a leader who failed to deliver on his promises, while Harris presents herself as a determined candidate who supposedly will not shy away from a fight.
Harris also set to distance herself from Biden and his controversial policies
Aside from attacking Trump, the Harris team is also creating some distance between the vice president and certain policies of the Biden administration that she has previously been vocally supportive of.
Harris is also preparing to distance herself subtly from some of the more contentious aspects of the Biden administration, such as the chaotic 2021 withdrawal from Afghanistan. Her team is working on carefully acknowledging these challenges without directly criticizing Biden. The team believes that this approach allows Harris to create a distinct identity as a candidate who respects her role as vice president but is ready to chart her course as president.
"They are trying to figure out how to create some space between her and some of his decisions," the source said. "There's a way to say it like 'I'm the vice president; I work at the behest and the direction of the president.' She wants to figure out how to strategically answer those questions without creating problems for Biden."
Another significant element of her strategy is to share personal stories and experiences that connect with voters on a more human level. This aims to showcase Harris as a "real person" who understands the struggles of ordinary Americans to counter the perception that she can be overly scripted or detached.
In line with all this, Harris is keeping her circle of advisors small and tightly knit, including her brother-in-law Tony West and longtime aide Rohini Kosoglu. This select group is providing Harris with briefing books and engaging her in question-and-answer sessions to ensure she is prepared to handle a wide range of topics and potential personal attacks from Trump. She has learned from the 2019 Democratic primary debate where she was caught off guard by then-candidate Tulsi Gabbard's criticisms.
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Watch the video below where Lara Trump talks about why Harris can't be trusted.
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