Harris and Trump take different approaches as September debate nears
By Arit John and Kayla Tausche, CNN
(CNN) — Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump are taking two different paths to prepare for their September 10 presidential debate, the first time the nominees will face off since Democrats upended their ticket this summer.
The week leading up to the debate, which will be hosted by ABC News in Philadelphia, represents the candidates’ last chance to set the agenda before they meet. It may also offer a preview of what attacks the two will level against each other.
Since President Joe Biden ended his reelection bid and endorsed his running mate more than five weeks ago, Trump has struggled to land on a message to blunt Harris’ momentum. The former president has tested out personal attacks and nicknames, criticized her lack of press conferences and new interviews, blamed Biden administration policies for inflation and high costs, and hammered Harris and Biden over the 2021 withdrawal from Afghanistan that left 13 US service members dead.
Harris, meanwhile, has focused on moderating many of the positions she laid out during her 2019 Democratic presidential primary campaign. In an interview last week with CNN, her first since becoming the Democratic nominee, she argued that her values have stayed the same even if her stance on issues such as fracking have not.
Harris is also planning to deliver a speech in New Hampshire on Wednesday to unveil the next tranche of her economic plan, according to three advisers.
CNN previously reported that Harris would unveil her proposals in a series of rollouts, with the next expected to focus on innovation, entrepreneurship and small business. Harris told a small-business owner in Georgia last week that one of her top priorities would be instituting a tax credit to assist Americans starting and growing businesses.
But for much of this week, Harris will take a step back from the trail ahead of the debate after spending Monday campaigning in the so-called blue wall states with labor leaders. Her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, campaigned in Wisconsin, while Harris held a solo event in Michigan and was joined by Biden for a rally in Pittsburgh, the president’s first time campaigning with Harris since he ended his reelection bid.
Biden is preparing to emerge as a top surrogate for Harris in the final two months of the campaign, and will hold events in key battleground states later this week.
Trump, meanwhile, is ramping up his appearances after skipping Labor Day campaigning. The former president will virtually headline the Republican Jewish Coalition’s Annual Leadership Summit in Las Vegas on Wednesday and deliver a speech at the Economic Club of New York on Thursday before holding a rally in in Mosinee, Wisconsin, on Saturday.
The former president tried to flesh out his economic proposals last month. At a rally in Asheville, North Carolina, billed as an economic policy speech, Trump said he would impose tariffs on other countries and sign an executive order directing agencies to combat inflation on the first day of a second term.
Harris has also sought to flesh out her policy platform, striking a balance between running on the Biden administration’s accomplishments and defining her own priorities.
She said during an economic address last month that she would prioritize fighting price gouging, lowering grocery costs, cutting taxes for the middle class, reducing the burden of medical debt and prescription drug costs, and making it more affordable to buy and rent a home.
“As president, I will be laser-focused on creating opportunities for the middle class that advance their economic security, stability and dignity,” she said in Raleigh, North Carolina.
Next week’s debate will come after weeks of back-and-forth between the two campaigns over the scheduling and rules around the event.
During the debate, the candidates will have their microphones muted when it’s not their turn to speak. The Harris campaign had pushed back on the rule, while the former president and his campaign have offered conflicting messages on their stance.
In addition to the ABC News debate first agreed upon by Trump and Biden, the former president agreed to attend a September 4 Fox News debate. After Harris declined that event, the former president said he would hold a town hall with the network hosted by Sean Hannity.
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