The upcoming clash in Philadelphia between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump, slated for Tuesday, September 10th, will test both parties’ strategies during this presidential campaign, a campaign already characterized by disarray and disorder. In the wake of the recent upheaval within the Democratic Party, which saw the dramatic departure of President Joe Biden, aged 81, his fellow party members and the progressive base are left nervous and on edge. They now place their hopes on Harris, whose prosecutorial background seems to be their mainstay, to challenge Trump’s scandal-ridden track record.
However, to imagine that Harris will make significant headway by highlighting her career in law and drawing contrasts on mainline issues is misleading. One of the primary fumbles of the Democratic Party lies here: Jim Gilmore, former Virginia Governor who sought the GOP nomination twice without success, firmly believes that the anticipated face-off will be ‘critically important’, but argues the spotlight on the Democratic candidate could reveal significant flaws.
A certain interesting viewpoint to consider is regarding voters’ decisions. A USA TODAY/Suffolk poll conducted this month shows that roughly 90% of likely voters have definitively made up their minds. Perhaps surprisingly, only about 8% suggested their decision could be swayed, while a meager 1% are still dithering. As stated by Marc Trussler, director of data science at the University of Pennsylvania, ‘In a close election, everything matters.’ The reassuring fact is that it seems most voters have discerned the real picture.
The upcoming debate’s rules will be similar to the ones in June, no live audience, no props or distractions, and yes, microphones will be muted when the other candidate talks, much to the discrete displeasure of the Harris campaign. However, instead of being a rerun of a familiar showdown, this now resembles an accelerated race over the course of eight weeks between two individuals who have had no personal direct interaction.
An interesting reminder is that Harris and Trump have never scuffled in an in-person debate and thus, the nature of their interaction will garner significant attention. Their relationship has distantly revolved around ceremonial phenomena, with Trump avoiding Harris’s vice-presidential inauguration after flagrantly disregarding the 2020 election’s legitimacy, and Harris notably absent from Trump’s previous State of the Union speeches.
Observations from Mair, who guided GOP candidates in debate preparation, reflected concerns over Trump’s handling of Harris, the second woman to secure a presidential nomination from a major party, post Clinton’s attempt in 2016. As pointed out, intense interaction can often be misconstrued as gender-specific bias and can potentially backfire.
One thing is clear; Trump and his entourage need to strike the right balance between challenging Harris’s surging narrative and not alienating those voters sitting on the fringe. The former president’s character and policies are still a topic hotly debated among undecided voters who now worry about whether Trump’s well-known propensity for theatrics will overwhelm the substance of the debate.
In the past, Trump’s unknown guest invites and his unpredictably brash remarks have lent a flavor of unpredictability to these political quarrels, regardless, his affiliates caution against such behaviour. Harris, on the other hand, has remained remarkably quiet, offering minimal policy-centric speeches during her campaign and only a single sit-down interview, accompanied by Tim Walz, post her nomination victory.
Harris’s policy changes have also been under scrutiny; she initially supported a ban on fracking during her 2019 presidential race, but in a recent interview with CNN, she shifted her stance, arguing that climate change challenges can be conquered without necessarily banning oil extraction practices. This indifferent stance on such pressing issues does raise questions about Harris’s approach towards environmental protection.
The amusement of Harris’s campaign can be denoted by her pitch about the ‘Prosecutor vs felon’ narrative. The grand exit of Biden, the unexpected surge of Harris and the theatrics of Trump’s campaign have added a Hollywood-style drama to this political combat, with potential implications that will echo throughout the country.
This clash between Harris and Trump is threatening to break viewer records, potentially topping the 2016 debate between Trump and Hillary Clinton which attracted an audience of approximately 84 million for their initial debate engagement. ABC News will televise the event, and the inclusion of multiple platforms and streaming services only heightens the possibility of this debate becoming the most watched in U.S. history.
But when will this dramatic confrontation take place? The Harris-Trump debate is scheduled for Tuesday, September 10, in Philadelphia, an announcement made by ABC News, who will broadcast the event starting at 9:00 p.m. ET.
Moreover, ABC is not the exclusive broadcaster of the event; they plan to air the event live, and it will also be streamed on ABC News Live, Disney+, and Hulu – a fact shared by the network.