Harris and Trump gear up for crucial presidential debate in Philadelphia.

Département de recherche, d’études stratégiques et de relations internationales 10-09-2024

As the presidential contenders finalize preparations for the event in Pennsylvania, their contrasting strategies take center stage.

This debate was one that almost didn’t happen.

On Tuesday night in Philadelphia, Donald Trump will face an unexpected opponent: Kamala Harris, the current vice-president of the United States, who has redefined the tone and trajectory of the election. Trump had originally agreed to the debate in May, expecting to spar with a more familiar adversary, Joe Biden, with whom he shared a contentious debate history from the 2020 election.

Trump anticipated another face-off with Biden in the City of Brotherly Love. However, following Biden’s lackluster and disjointed performance in June’s debate in Atlanta, the president withdrew from the race amid mounting pressure from his own Democratic party. This development left Trump facing Harris, a figure he has struggled to effectively target in his campaign.

Harris, on the other hand, enters the debate well-prepared. Her team has trained her extensively, mimicking Trump’s aggressive debate style, often marked by sharp and insulting rhetoric, particularly against women. Drawing from her courtroom experience as a prosecutor, Harris is also facing a former president recently convicted on 34 felony charges, which adds another dynamic to the event.

The debate comes at a critical moment in the campaign, with polls showing a tight race, both nationally and in key battleground states, especially Pennsylvania, where the debate will unfold. The state, with its significant electoral votes, is considered pivotal in determining the election’s outcome.

The debate, hosted by ABC, will follow the same guidelines that applied to Trump and Biden’s prior face-off, including muting the candidates’ microphones during their opponent’s speaking time. Harris’s team pushed to keep the microphones on throughout the debate, hoping to provoke Trump into the same unruly interruptions that marked his previous performances. However, Trump’s advisors, keen to keep him on point, insisted on adhering to the original format.

According to Steven Fein, a presidential debate expert and psychology professor at Williams College, Trump’s struggle to come to terms with Biden’s exit from the race could influence the tone of the debate. Fein pointed out that Trump’s frustration over Biden’s withdrawal and Harris’s replacement adds a psychological element to the event, which could lead to intense verbal exchanges.

“It will be challenging for Trump to restrain himself, especially in a face-off with a woman, and a woman of color, which might present difficulties for him,” Fein noted, suggesting that this debate holds more potential for tension and mind games than previous ones.

Trump has been preparing with a team that includes Tulsi Gabbard, a former Democratic congresswoman who now supports him and clashed with Harris during the 2020 primary debates. In a pre-debate call with journalists, Jason Miller, one of Trump’s advisors, argued that it’s Harris who will find it tough to prepare for Trump.

“Trump’s unpredictable style, taking unscripted questions daily, makes him difficult to prepare for,” Miller said, likening Trump’s debate style to facing off with boxing legend Muhammad Ali. “You never know what his approach will be—he mixes humor, charm, and hard-hitting facts in a unique way.”