PHILADELPHIA—“Contrast” was the word on every tongue in the spin room before the debate as both candidates’ surrogates shared their hopes and expectations for the night.
Rep. Byron Donalds (R-Fla.), there on behalf of former President Donald Trump, told The Epoch Times that Trump’s primary goal should be to “set up the contrast” between himself and Vice President Kamala Harris.
Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump head into a presidential debate virtually tied in national polling, raising the stakes for a showdown that could prove pivotal in the 2024 election.
“[The election] is really sitting on a knife’s edge on the electoral college,” Henry Olsen, a senior fellow with the Ethics and Public Policy Center, told The Epoch Times. “One point in either direction is something that could really matter.”
We asked political experts to explain what both candidates must do to perform well in this debate—and what could happen if they don’t.
PHILADELPHIA—Ahead of the first presidential debate between former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris, Pennsylvania’s undecided voters want the candidates to discuss the economy, border security, and abortion to help them decide how they will vote.
Trump and Harris will meet at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia on Sept. 10. It is the second debate of the 2024 campaign, following Trump’s face-off against President Joe Biden in Atlanta on June 27, with the latter dropping out of the race in July. The Epoch Times spoke with several voters in Pennsylvania who are not yet committed to any candidate to understand how Trump or Harris could persuade them.
Asked what issue she'd like to hear debated, Cyndi McGuinn said, “[It’s] women’s rights [to abortion], obviously. ... That’s huge right now.” An undecided voter from the Philadelphia suburbs who works at a Whole Foods store, McGuinn added that foreign policy, specifically the war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, would also be important.
The long-awaited matchup between Democratic nominee Vice President Kamala Harris and Republican nominee former President Donald Trump will air on ABC on Sept. 10, just two months before the election.
The political landscape has changed radically since the first presidential debate between Trump and President Joe Biden, which kicked off a pressure campaign that culminated in Biden bowing out of the race on July 21.
Since the first debate, Trump survived an attempt on his life, Harris rapidly rose to the top of the Democratic ticket, and both campaigns have shifted their messaging to respond to the new Democratic standard-bearer. Both candidates have also chosen their running mates.
Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump are set to debate for the first time on Sept. 10 in a pivotal moment that could shape the tight 2024 presidential race.
ABC will host the debate in Philadelphia at the National Constitution Center. The two candidates will be standing throughout the event, which will last 90 minutes with two commercial breaks, according to the network. The debate will begin at 9 p.m. EDT.
The June CNN debate precipitated a significant turning point in the 2024 race. President Joe Biden faced mounting pressure from within his own party to step down after a poor performance. He exited the race in July and endorsed Harris.