Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump are preparing for their upcoming presidential debate on September 10, which will be hosted by ABC News in Philadelphia. Trump has struggled to develop a clear message to counter Harris’ momentum since President Joe Biden endorsed her as his running mate. He has tried personal attacks, criticized her lack of press conferences, blamed inflation on Biden administration policies, and criticized their handling of the Afghanistan withdrawal. Harris, on the other hand, has moderated some of her positions from the 2019 Democratic presidential primary campaign and will focus on unveiling the next tranche of her economic plan in New Hampshire.
Harris will focus on innovation, entrepreneurship, and small businesses in her economic plan proposals, including a tax credit to assist Americans starting and growing businesses. She will step back from the campaign trail for much of the week leading up to the debate after campaigning with labor leaders in the blue wall states. Biden will emerge as a surrogate for Harris in the final two months of the campaign, holding events in key battleground states as they prepare for the debate. Trump, on the other hand, is ramping up his appearances, virtually headlining events before holding a rally in Wisconsin.
Trump has tried to flesh out his economic proposals, including imposing tariffs and combating inflation, while Harris has focused on fighting price gouging, lowering grocery costs, cutting taxes for the middle class, reducing medical debt and prescription drug costs, and making housing more affordable. Both candidates are seeking to define their own priorities while building on the accomplishments of the Biden administration. The debate will come after weeks of discussions and negotiations between the campaigns over the scheduling and rules of the event, including the rule of muting candidates’ microphones when it is not their turn to speak.
The ABC News debate will be the first time Trump and Harris face off since Biden endorsed her as his running mate. Harris had declined a Fox News debate but the former president agreed to hold a town hall with the network hosted by Sean Hannity. The debate will offer a preview of the attacks the candidates will level against each other and may help set the agenda leading up to the event. Harris and Trump are taking different paths to prepare for the debate, with Harris focusing on her economic plan and Trump ramping up his appearances and trying to develop a clear message to counter Harris’ momentum.
