DiscoverThe NPR Politics PodcastHow Harris, Trump Prep For Tuesday's Debate
How Harris, Trump Prep For Tuesday's Debate

How Harris, Trump Prep For Tuesday's Debate

Update: 2024-09-094
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This podcast delves into the upcoming presidential debate between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris, examining their contrasting preparation strategies and potential attack points. The discussion highlights Trump's reliance on his on-the-trail experience and Harris's engagement in traditional debate prep. The podcast also explores the challenges Kamala Harris faces in defining herself as a candidate, particularly given her role as Vice President for the past four years. The discussion focuses on her economic message, her stance on immigration and abortion rights, and the need to reduce the margins of Trump's advantages in key areas. The podcast further discusses the debate format, including the controversial issue of muted microphones and the role of fact-checking. The discussion highlights the ongoing debate between the campaigns regarding the rules, the absence of an audience, and the network's discretion in managing the debate. Finally, the podcast focuses on the significance of the upcoming debate and the key aspects to watch for, including Trump's potential response to Harris as his opponent, his history of dealing with women in power, and the potential impact of his behavior on the gender gap and independent voters.

Outlines

00:01:04
The Presidential Debate: Trump vs. Harris

This chapter analyzes the upcoming presidential debate between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris, exploring their contrasting preparation strategies and potential attack points. The discussion highlights Trump's reliance on his on-the-trail experience and Harris's engagement in traditional debate prep.

00:05:43
Defining Kamala Harris: A New Way Forward?

This chapter examines the challenges Kamala Harris faces in defining herself as a candidate, particularly given her role as Vice President for the past four years. The discussion focuses on her economic message, her stance on immigration and abortion rights, and the need to reduce the margins of Trump's advantages in key areas.

00:07:29
Debate Format and Fact-Checking

This chapter discusses the debate format, including the controversial issue of muted microphones and the role of fact-checking. The discussion highlights the ongoing debate between the campaigns regarding the rules, the absence of an audience, and the network's discretion in managing the debate.

00:13:02
The Consequential Debate: What to Watch For

This chapter focuses on the significance of the upcoming debate and the key aspects to watch for. The discussion explores Trump's potential response to Harris as his opponent, his history of dealing with women in power, and the potential impact of his behavior on the gender gap and independent voters.

Keywords

Presidential Debate


A formal meeting between candidates for political office, typically held during an election campaign, where they engage in a structured discussion and debate on various issues.

Debate Format


The structure and rules governing a debate, including the number of participants, the topics covered, the time allotted for each speaker, and the role of moderators.

Fact-Checking


The process of verifying the accuracy of statements made during a debate or other public discourse, often conducted by journalists or fact-checking organizations.

Muted Microphones


A debate format where microphones are temporarily silenced to prevent interruptions and allow for more structured discourse.

Gender Gap


The difference in voting patterns between men and women, often observed in political elections, where women tend to favor certain candidates or parties over others.

Independent Voters


Voters who do not identify with a particular political party and are not consistently aligned with either major party.

Economic Message


A candidate's stance on economic issues, including their policies on taxes, spending, trade, and job creation.

Immigration


The movement of people from one country to another, often for economic or political reasons, and a key issue in many political debates.

Abortion Rights


The legal right of a woman to terminate her pregnancy, a highly controversial issue in many countries, including the United States.

Q&A

  • What are the key differences in how Trump and Harris are preparing for the debate?

    Trump is relying on his on-the-trail experience and engaging in informal preparation, while Harris is taking a more traditional approach, focusing on classical debate prep and gathering information.

  • What are some of the challenges Kamala Harris faces in defining herself as a candidate?

    Harris faces the challenge of introducing herself to the American public while also being the incumbent president's Vice President for four years. She needs to articulate a distinct economic message and address concerns about her past positions on certain issues.

  • What are the main points of contention regarding the debate format?

    The debate format is a point of contention, particularly regarding the use of muted microphones. The Harris campaign wants open mics, while the Trump campaign prefers the current rules. The network will have the discretion to manage the mics based on the level of crosstalk.

  • What are some of the key aspects to watch for during the debate?

    Key aspects to watch for include Trump's response to Harris as his opponent, his potential use of bullying tactics, and the impact of his behavior on the gender gap and independent voters.

Show Notes

Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump have their first — and, so far, only — scheduled debate on Tuesday. What are the stakes, and what is each candidate doing to prepare?

This episode: White House correspondents Asma Khalid & Franco Ordoñez, and senior political editor & correspondent Domenico Montanaro.

The podcast is produced by Jeongyoon Han, Casey Morell and Kelli Wessinger. Our editor is Eric McDaniel. Our executive producer is Muthoni Muturi.

Listen to every episode of the NPR Politics Podcast sponsor-free, unlock access to bonus episodes with more from the NPR Politics team, and support public media when you sign up for The NPR Politics Podcast+ at plus.npr.org/politics.

Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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How Harris, Trump Prep For Tuesday's Debate

How Harris, Trump Prep For Tuesday's Debate