Kamala Harris will take her message directly to Donald Trump in a debate Tuesday night that experts say is shaping up to be a pivotal moment ahead of the US elections in November.
“This may be the only time American voters will see Kamala Harris and Donald Trump interact directly on stage,” said Allison Prasch, an associate professor at the University of Wisconsin.
“I think this is probably the most important 90 minutes of this entire election season,” she added.
The two candidates will meet on stage in Philadelphia for the second presidential debate of the campaign. The debate caps a tumultuous summer for both parties that has seen the attempted assassination of the former president, a complete reconfiguration of the Democratic field and Republicans struggling to respond to their new opponent.
The first presidential debate in June was a pivotal moment for Democrats, with Donald Trump easily prevailing over an incoherent President Joe Biden.
The underperformance accelerated a cascade of concerns about the incumbent’s mental acuity and ability to win the election, leading him to withdraw from the race.
Tuesday’s face-off will eclipse the June debate as the defining moment of the election. “It’s the visual and discursive moment where two choices come together,” Mr.me Prasch, an expert on American presidential rhetoric.
Great battlefield
The stakes are extremely high in this tight race. Kamala Harris has seen polls tilt slightly in her favor in some key states as she rides a wave of enthusiasm since taking over as Democratic leader. But the margins in Pennsylvania, where the debate is taking place, remain slim.
Matthew Lebo, a specialist in American politics at Western University in London, Ontario, believes the state is the biggest battleground in the race.
While Philadelphia is typically a Democratic stronghold, Pennsylvania has transformed into a state that is expected to be crucial to winning the presidency. Donald Trump won the state in 2016 before it went to Joe Biden in 2020 — each time by a narrow margin.
Tuesday’s showdown will test Harris’s credentials with less than 60 days to go before the election. She will have to meet voters and present her policies while fending off attacks from Donald Trump.
The current vice president is expected to draw on her experience as a prosecutor and the feelings of hope and joy her campaign has generated since Joe Biden’s withdrawal.
According to Mme Prasch said a successful debate for Kamala Harris would also involve clear communication about her policies on the economy, the war between Israel and Hamas, and issues that affect “ordinary citizens” on a daily basis.
What place for Canada?
Canadians will likely be listening to plans for international trade. Whoever wins the election will be in power when the Canada-U.S.-Mexico trade pact is revised in 2026.
Many observers expect Kamala Harris to follow in her predecessor’s footsteps on Canada-U.S. relations. However, she was one of 10 members of the Senate to vote against the trilateral agreement under President Donald Trump, saying it did not adequately protect American workers and the environment.
For his part, the Republican has floated ideas that would disrupt global trade and has already signaled his intention to impose 10% tariffs on imports.
Mr. Lebo, however, does not expect to get much information on Tuesday about the questions Canadians are asking.
In his view, Donald Trump’s biggest challenge will be to stay true to his message and avoid comments that could be perceived as misogynistic or racist.
In the closing moments of the third presidential debate in 2016, Donald Trump called Hillary Clinton a “nasty woman.” Facing Kamala Harris, a difficult opponent for the former president so far, Lebo believes his comments could veer into similar territory.
“He will deviate from his script,” he said. “When he is on stage with Mme Harris and she’ll have some really good answers, she won’t give him the respect he thinks he deserves and I don’t know if he’ll be able to contain himself.”
Before the debate, Donald Trump criticized the format and moderators at ABC News, saying he would not be treated fairly. He said on social media that he would not be allowed to stand on boxes or on a dumbwaiter during the debate.
“That would be a form of cheating, and the Democrats cheat enough,” he said Saturday.
Lebo said that rhetoric may be effective with Trump’s base of supporters, but he believes the billionaire “needs more than his base.”