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CNN anchor Abby Phillip has warned Vice President Kamala Harris to brace for a challenging debate with former President Donald Trump, scheduled for September 10. Phillip cautioned that Trump’s persistent and confrontational style could put Harris in a difficult position, despite her recent strategy of avoiding direct responses to his criticisms.
In a discussion on Thursday night, Phillip highlighted Trump’s aggressive demeanor, noting, “Let’s not be mistaken, Donald Trump is tall and very loud, and he’s very persistent.” This warning came as Harris has faced criticism from Trump over her presentation of her racial identity. During a National Association of Black Journalists event, Trump questioned Harris’ racial identity, remarking, “I didn’t know she was Black until a number of years ago when she happened to turn Black and now, she wants to be known as Black.”
In response to Trump’s comments during a CNN interview with Dana Bash, Harris dismissed the remarks as part of a “same old tired playbook,” opting to move on to other topics rather than engage with Trump’s criticisms directly.
Phillip expressed concern that Harris’ approach of avoiding direct confrontation with Trump might not be effective in the high-stakes debate setting. “It’s not going to be so easy to just say, ‘OK, let’s move on,’” Phillip noted. “He’s going to be right there on stage.”
CNN political commentators were divided on how Harris should handle Trump’s attacks. Ashley Allison, former National Coalitions Director for Biden-Harris 2020, advised Harris to ignore Trump’s provocations. “Let him look like the bully,” Allison suggested, emphasizing that Harris should maintain her composure and rise above the attacks.
On the other hand, CNN analyst David Axelrod supported Harris’ strategy during her CNN interview. Axelrod argued that Harris’ choice to pivot away from Trump’s inflammatory remarks could effectively shift the focus back to the issues affecting voters. “That behavior of Donald Trump’s really does raise the question, ‘do you want this for the next four years or do you want someone who’s focused on your problems?’” Axelrod said, defending Harris’ approach.
As the debate approaches, Harris will need to navigate Trump’s confrontational style while balancing strategic responses to maintain her focus on key issues that resonate with voters.