Harris and Trump prepare for Tuesday’s debate in very different ways

PITTSBURGH —

Kamala Harris and Donald Trump are diverging sharply in how they prepare for Tuesday’s presidential debate, setting up a showdown that reflects not only two visions of the country but also two politicians who approach big moments in very different ways.

The vice president is holed up in a historic hotel in downtown Pittsburgh, where she can focus on preparing concise, two-minute answers that comply with debate rules. She has been working with aides since Thursday and has chosen a venue that allows the Democratic nominee to mingle with voters in key states.

Trump, the Republican nominee, has publicly denied the point of studying for the debate. The former president has chosen to fill his days with campaign events, assuming he will know what to do once he steps on the debate stage at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia.

“You can go in with whatever strategy you want, but you have to kind of feel it out as the debate unfolds,” he said in an interview with Fox News host Sean Hannity, who has previously advised Trump.

Trump then quoted former boxer Mike Tyson, who said: “Everybody has a plan until they get punched in the face.”

Harris said she was prepared for Trump to hurl insults and distort facts, even though his campaign saw the value in focusing on the middle class and the prospects for a better future for the country.

“We have to prepare ourselves for the fact that he doesn’t have to tell the truth,” Harris said during a radio interview on the “Rickey Smiley Morning Show.” “He tends to fight for himself, not for the American people, and I think that’s going to show in the debate.”

In debate preparation, Harris plays the role of Trump, played by Democratic consultant Philippe Reines, a longtime aide to Hillary Clinton. Harris likes to portray Trump as a man who has a “repertoire” of lies to attack Democrats like Clinton and former President Obama.

Harris has said she understands Trump on a deeper psychological level. She has tried, in speeches such as at the Democratic National Convention, to show that she would be a stronger leader than he is — an argument that challenges Trump’s desire to project himself and show his strength.

The June 27 debate between Trump and President Biden turned the election on its head, with Biden’s performance ultimately leading him to abandon his candidacy for the Democratic nominee and endorse Kamala Harris. Both teams know that the first in-person meeting between Harris and Trump could be a decisive event in a tight race.

Trump preemptively criticizes ABC News debate moderators, saying he won’t be treated fairly.

Trump advisers have said this debate will be no different than the last one, and that the former president will not do more traditional preparation. There will be no stunt doubles, no sets, no staging.

Instead, they point to Trump’s frequent interviews, his hour-long podcasts and his participation in events with sympathetic hosts such as Hannity.

Trump is also meeting with political advisers who are experts on issues that might be addressed during the debate, they say.

“I have meetings about it. We talk about it. But there’s not much you can do. You either know your subject or you don’t. You either have good policy or you don’t,” Trump said in a New Hampshire radio interview.

Before the final debate, Trump held talks with Republicans like Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, who was then tipped to be Trump’s running mate. This time, he held talks with Tulsi Gabbard, the former Democratic congresswoman and presidential candidate who now supports Trump.

Gabbard, a member of Trump’s transition team, has been specifically tasked with helping Trump this time around, as she debated Harris when both were running for the 2020 Democratic nomination. She also recently held a town hall meeting with Trump in Wisconsin.

Trump, advisers say, is intent on putting Harris on the defensive. He wants to portray her as too liberal, trying to tie her to Biden’s economic record and highlighting reversals on issues such as a ban on fracking that she no longer supports.

Harris’ team is banking on Trump coming out as an extremist and using the debate as a springboard to capitalize on the momentum generated by her short campaign. The campaign plans to use the weekend before the debate to hold 2,000 volunteer events and reach more than a million voters.

“With hundreds of offices and thousands of staffers spread across battleground states, we are able to capitalize on all the buzz around the debate and reach hard-to-reach voters,” Dan Kanninen, the campaign’s key states director, said in a statement.

Associated Press writer Boak reported from Washington, Colvin from New York. AP writer Michelle L. Price in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, contributed to this report.