6 things to watch for when Kamala Harris debates Donald Trump
CNN
Kamala Harris on Tuesday night faces a task unprecedented in modern political history. On the debate stage in Philadelphia, she will deliver both an opening argument – to the millions of voters who want to know more about her – and a closing argument – for her candidacy and against Donald Trump’s – as their lightning campaign enters its final eight weeks.
Kamala Harris on Tuesday night faces a task unprecedented in modern political history. On the debate stage in Philadelphia, she will deliver both an opening argument – to the millions of voters who want to know more about her – and a closing argument – for her candidacy and against Donald Trump’s – as their lightning campaign enters its final eight weeks. The former president will also find himself in uncharted waters. After skipping the Republican primary debates, Trump will now square off with his second Democratic rival in as many outings – but unlike President Joe Biden, whose campaign imploded onstage in Atlanta in June, Harris presents a vastly different challenge. Harris has so far enjoyed a charmed campaign. She pounced on the nomination after Biden dropped out in July, then surged – in the polls and on the fundraising front – in the following weeks. Her cash advantage is clear. She raised $361 million in August alone, nearly three times Trump’s haul. But the horse race is as close as ever, and there is increasing demand in the electorate for more information about Harris and her policy agenda – a knowledge gap that creates opportunities and stumbling blocks for both camps. There is less mystery surrounding Trump. This is his record seventh presidential general election debate. On the trail, he has thrown out a typically Trumpian mish-mosh of often self-contradicting pledges and positions, promoted then fled from the now-infamous “Project 2025,” and otherwise sought to tie Harris to Biden’s record, particularly on the border, while frequently issuing gender- and race-baiting personal attacks. The fundamental question ahead of their meeting in Philadelphia, one of the highest-stakes national debates in a generation, is whether – and how – one of them can deliver a compelling message to swing voters while bolstering the confidence of their respective bases. Here are six things to watch for on Tuesday night: