They have never met yet, but they have a date this Tuesday evening before the eyes of America. In a few hours, Kamala Harris and Donald Trump will debate live for 90 minutes on ABC News. A first for the vice president who has never yet crossed swords on a national scale. A virtual walk in the park for the billionaire, who is about to break the record for the number of presidential contests. However, the one on September 10 could never have seen the light of day. First refused by the representative of the Grand Old Party (GOP) after Joe Biden’s withdrawal, the confrontation demanded by the Democratic candidate was finally accepted by Donald Trump in mid-August.
With less than five days to go, the Trump and Harris camps had still not managed to agree on the terms and rules of the debate. In recent days, the microphones have been the main bone of contention between the two campaign teams. The vice president’s campaign argued for them to remain on throughout the debate so that no statement would escape the listeners’ ears. The billionaire’s entourage, “not trusting Donald Trump” according to comments reported by NBC News, insisted that they be cut off every time the opponent spoke.
A formula initially proposed by the American television channel: during the Biden-Trump debate last July, the two candidates had already been subjected to these conditions. A format that “would fundamentally disadvantage” Kamala Harris, the Democrat’s entourage complained in a letter sent to ABC and consulted by CBS News. And for good reason, the former prosecutor’s team was banking on the impulsive and erratic character of Donald Trump, whose personal attacks have become a trademark. Kamala Harris, who had until then escaped the nicknames attributed to the billionaire’s rivals, recently paid the price.
Harris’ meticulous preparation
So the candidate of the donkey party has religiously trained herself to absorb the invectives of her opponent. Holed up this weekend in a historic hotel in downtown Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Kamala Harris took part in a role play. In the cast, she herself of course, playing her own character. In that of Donald Trump, a former assistant to Hillary Clinton, familiar with the exercise. TV set, cameras, lights, moderators… The conditions of the debate of September 10 were recreated for these simulations.
In 2016, Philippe Reines had already donned the “too large” suits of the former real estate magnate to prepare his opponent at the time. Three years later, the man who claims to “know Trump’s debate style best” confided in our colleagues at Politico : “To prepare myself […]I watched the 15 Republican primary debates and forums in which Trump participated three times each: once in full; a second time concentrating entirely on the exchanges in which he participated; a third time with the sound off to observe his mannerisms and body language.” During intermissions, Philippe Reines did not leave his character, refusing to speak to Hillary Clinton. Which did not fail to irritate the Democrat. “He annoys me,” she hissed in the ears of her advisers. Illusion successful.
Biden and Clinton consulted
Karen Dunn also works with Democrats. For over ten years, this Washington-based lawyer has led and coordinated the candidates’ campaign training sessions. She took part in the Trump-Harris debate simulations, of which CNN gives us a short excerpt. We hear Kamala Harris interrupt her interlocutor: “If you don’t mind letting me finish, we can have a conversation. Okay? Okay.” A charge that the candidate could reiterate this Tuesday evening live on ABC News.
Some have said that Kamala Harris had been preparing for this confrontation since the evening of the Trump-Biden debate, at the end of which the current White House occupant was buried by a deluge of criticism. However, this did not prevent the former attorney general of San Francisco from drawing on the experience of the man she affectionately calls “Joe”. The first and last woman to confront Donald Trump during a presidential debate, Hillary Clinton was also consulted by Kamala Harris.
One debate, two schools
Opposite, Donald Trump boasts, loudly proclaiming that he has “prepared his whole life for this moment”. The Republican actually boasts that he does not need any “formal preparation”. Fact sheets, simulations, consultations… Very little for the forty-fifth president of the United States who is said to have been content with preliminary conversations with a host of strategists, advisors, and other political communication experts. A way of displaying a much more relaxed attitude than his rival, who has only made brief public appearances in recent days.
“President Trump has proven himself to be one of the best debaters in political history, as evidenced by his knockout blow to Joe Biden,” his national press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, said in a statement. “He doesn’t need traditional debate preparation because, unlike Kamala Harris, he understands the issues, participates in frequent interviews, and takes questions from the hostile media almost daily.”
The singer of the Make America Great Again (MAGA) will have benefited from a considerable asset during its compendious preparation: the presence of a new recruit, the independent Hawaiian congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard. A former Democrat who had heavily attacked Kamala Harris during a debate during the Democratic primaries in July 2019. At the time, the elected official had accused the former California prosecutor of having imprisoned more than 1,500 people for marijuana-related offenses. It remains to be seen whether the three-time candidate for the White House will be able to make good use of her advice.