Analyzing the Harris and Trump Debate: Risks and Opportunities
The debate, scheduled for September 10th, will be the first direct confrontation between Harris and Trump. Here’s what that could mean
The debate, scheduled for September 10th, will be the first direct confrontation between Harris and Trump. Here’s what that could mean

The presidential race is drawing to a close, and the stakes couldn’t be higher. With polls showing Harris and Trump neck and neck, nothing can be left to chance. That is especially true with the upcoming debate between former President Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris. With the debate next Tuesday, September 10th, many Americans wonder: What can we expect from the two candidates?
Considerations and Caution
When the debate was first announced, it was under the auspices of a Biden vs. Trump race. With the less than ideal debate performance by President Biden and his subsequent announcement to not seek reelection, the calculation has changed significantly. Harris’ entry into the race not only shifted the electoral map, but also the rhetoric surrounding the race itself. This has worked both to undermine Trump’s position in the race and put him on the defensive in many key states, it would be a mistake to assume that the debate couldn’t harm Harris.
While Harris has previously seen success in debates, such as her debate against then-Vice President Mike Pence, debating Trump is a whole different scenario. Trump could easily disrupt the debate as he has in the past, blithering through the debate or actively attacking her on the border. This could harm Vice-President Harris despite the fact that she has very little power over the issue.
Nonetheless, Harris has shown a tenacity to her and has even used the over confidence of some of her opponents against them, letting them dismantle their own position. In one instance, her opponent for the United States senate decided it was a good idea to dab near the end of the debate, prompting Harris to respond “So, there’s a clear difference between the candidates in this race.”
In another instance, her opponent was asked about whether or not he planned to engage in double dipping, meaning the use of both pension and salary while in office. Rather than attacking him, Harris let her opponent, Steve Cooley, sink himself with his answer, “Yes, I do… I have earned it.”
These kind of responses and overall approach could work for Harris in her case against Trump. The former President isn’t known for his restraint and at times, he has struggled to stay on script. As the New York Times puts it:
“On Monday in Pennsylvania, he struggled to clarify a previous comment that he believed the Presidential Medal of Freedom, which honors civilians, was “much better” than the Medal of Honor given to military members. On Tuesday in Michigan, he claimed that Vice President Kamala Harris had won the Democratic nomination after a “vicious, violent overthrow of a president” and called Chicago, which hosted the Democratic convention, “a war zone that’s worse than Afghanistan.
He openly rejected advice from allies to limit his personal attacks on Ms. Harris and other Democrats during a speech on Wednesday in North Carolina. He called the nation’s first Black vice president “lazy” during a stop in Arizona on Thursday afternoon and, that night, rambled during a 10-minute phone call with Fox News. The anchors ultimately cut him off and ended the interview, but Mr. Trump picked up where he had left off by quickly phoning into Newsmax.”
- Michael C. Bender and Michael Gold, “Trump’s Carefully Scripted Week Kept Veering Off Script,” The New York Times, August 24, 2024
His rhetoric since Harris’ entry into the race in July hasn’t adapted adequately and his debate performance, while likely to be similar to his approach to President Biden, will likely be of similar quality. So, Harris’ strategy of letting Trump destroy himself could work to her advantage but there are limitations to this approach.
What Harris has to Do
While Harris’ strategy of letting Trump speak may work to undermine his favorability, something he already struggles with, it would be a mistake to assume that is enough.

Simply because Trump is a bad candidate and unfit to serve may not be enough. Harris must also communicate her plan both to and Americans and for them. What is she going to do to help the American people? Those questions are critical if she is to be viable going forward.
Simply stating a vision is not enough. Stating a clear vision that can be defended is another. While I have noted that Harris’ entry into the race has resulted in a less than strong response from Trump, that negativity in and of itself doesn’t justify a Harris presidency. Harris’ policies are the justification that Americans will have to see come next Tuesday.
If Harris is to prosper, she needs to keep her on the target and speak directly to the people. She needs to show that not only is she a better choice than Trump, she needs to show that she is good for America’s future.
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Originally published at https://theprogressiveamerican.com on September 3, 2024.