Image Source: Getty Images | Photo by Andrew Harnik
Vice President Kamala Harris is gearing up for her highly anticipated first presidential debate against Republican nominee Donald Trump, and she’s making it clear that she’s expecting the worst from her opponent. During an appearance on The Rickey Smiley Show, a popular urban radio program, Harris didn’t mince words about her expectations.
“He plays with this really old and tired playbook, right? … There’s no floor for him in terms of how low he would go. And we should be prepared for that. We should be prepared for the fact that he is not burdened by telling the truth,” she stated.
Harris went on to caution listeners about Trump’s possible tactics during the upcoming ABC debate. “Be prepared for the fact that he is probably going to speak a lot of untruth,” she warned, making it clear that her focus during the debate will be on holding Trump accountable. Harris explained her debate strategy, emphasizing that she intends to highlight what she believes to be Trump’s self-centered approach to leadership.
“Ultimately, you know, what I intend to point out is what we, as many people know, and certainly as I’m traveling the country in this campaign—he tends to fight for himself, not for the American people. And I think that’s going to come out during the debate,” she said.
With the election looming and a recent New York Times survey showing a tight race, the debate is shaping up to be a pivotal moment for both candidates. For Harris, the debate represents an opportunity to showcase her leadership and policies to a wider audience, especially to voters who feel they still don’t know enough about her.
Trump, on the other hand, is no stranger to the debate stage, having faced off in six previous presidential debates. According to reports from BBC, Trump’s team claims that the former president has not focused much on policy preparation but instead has been “fine-tuning the theatrics of his performance,” a nod to his experience with television audiences.
Harris’s campaign team has been working tirelessly to prepare her for the showdown. This preparation reportedly includes mock trials of the debate with identical lighting and podiums to replicate the actual event, as well as studying videos of Trump’s past debates.
Her team has also considered using tactics designed to rattle Trump, including scripting certain words, such as ‘old’ and ‘small,’ to provoke a reaction. As the countdown to the election continues, Harris remains laser-focused. With just 62 days left until the big day, she emphasized the urgency of the moment during her conversation with Rickey Smiley. “Rickey, we have 62 days to go.
I will sleep on the 63rd day. No time to waste. I hope to have earned your support, and I need your help. I don’t think any of us want to wake up on November 6, the day after this election, and have any regrets about what we could have done to remind people about what’s at stake,” Harris stated, per Mediaite. Every moment counts in the race to the White House, and for Harris, this debate is a critical piece of that journey.
