America's Talking - Trump, Harris Enter the Home Stretch With Question Marks Around Next Debate

Episode Date: September 13, 2024

Former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris are less than eight weeks away from election day, and whether they will debate again remains in question. The two faced off for their first-ever debate Tuesday night at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia. Before this week's debate, neither campaign had agreed to another debate. Harris' campaign released a statement welcoming a second debate, but whether Trump's team feels the same, and whether the two camps can agree on the network to host and the details of the debate remain major question marks. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Greetings, everyone, and welcome to America in Focus, powered by the Center Square. I'm Dan McAulb, chief content officer at Franklin News Foundation, publisher of the Center Square Newswire Service. We are recording this on Friday, September 13th. Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump held their first and apparently last debate of the campaign season this week in Philadelphia. 67 million people tuned in. Joining me to discuss the debate, is Casey Harper, Washington, D.C. Bureau Chief for the Center Square. Casey, you watched the debate, as did I. What were your takeaways?

Yeah, I mean, this was a crucial debate this week, Dan. There's millions of viewers, not in person, of course, where no attendees were allowed, but online and then a handful on ABC as well. I think that this, you know, this debate was overall a net loss for Trump. Watching the debate, it seemed like nearly a tie, but in the aftermath and Trump, you know, reaction to it. I think it's a small loss, not a major loss, not a death blow to his campaign in the way that Biden's last debate against Trump was, of course, you know, not that long ago, Trump ended President Joe Biden's reelection hopes in that debate. But this time around, Kamala seemed very well prepared. You know, I talked to a Republican strategist who made that

point that she seemed well prepared. And even though he doesn't agree that her policies would really helped the nation, she came off well. And I think, you know, one way she was able to do that, Dan, is she baited Trump into getting distracted a little bit. She brought up the rallies. She, you know, she brought up January, talks about January 6th and race and all these different things, topics that, you know, Trump's not as good on. He doesn't come across as, um, with the strong of a messenger as he does on things like the border. I mean, Trump did a good job of bringing things back to the border repeatedly, but even then he got a little distracted talking about the pets being eaten. And I understand that that story is not, you know, totally debunked as some liberal media

would like to make it out to be. I think the jury is still out on what's actually happening in Springfield and other communities with these Haitian migrants. Time will tell. But, you know, he was distracted. He didn't come across as the same authoritative poised messenger that he did against Biden. and he was less disciplined. And Harris was able kind of just to provoke him into getting off message.

But she didn't do too well herself. I mean, she wasn't really able to defend any of her big issues. I mean, she's changed her stance on some major policy issues, Dan. But the problem is for the Trump campaign, it's they didn't press her on it. They didn't make her defend herself. And so now Trump is saying he doesn't want to do a second debate. He says, hey, if you win, why would you do a rematch? but it didn't come across as a win for him.

So now that he doesn't want to do a debate, it seems like a loss. But knowing Trump, I mean, I think there still could be another debate. I mean, this isn't the first time this election cycle that he said he wouldn't do a debate. He said initially he wouldn't do the ABC debate, but he ended up doing it. So maybe he will. Harris's camp said they won another debate. I think it would actually benefit Trump to do another debate, come in a little more prepared, and press Harris on some of these issues that she hasn't yet had to defend herself on,

because the media really hasn't held their feet to the fire, but maybe he could. Yeah, I pretty much agree with you, Casey. For me, the takeaway was missed opportunities for the former president. You've got a 40-year-high inflation during the Biden-Harris administration. The economy still, even though inflation has mostly leveled off, we're still paying, you know, 22, 25 percent price increases at the grocery store, et cetera. You've got the ongoing border crisis.

Both the economy and the immigration issue are issues that voters, two of the top issues during the election season, voters in poll after poll after polls, they trust former President Trump on both of those. Then you have, you know, the foreign policy, the wars in, the Ukraine and in Israel, et cetera. And I agree with you. Trump didn't take advantage of the opportunities he had to hammer away at the former or at the current Vice President, excuse me, Kamala Harris, on those issues.

And I agree with you also that I think Trump almost needs a second debate. So I'm kind of surprised that he's insistent that he won't. But as you said, you know, that could change. I hope it does. I hope it does for voters so we can actually have, see more discussions on the issues. Right. I mean, Harris is relatively unknown. So I think there is some sense in which voters do deserve another debate.

I mean, Trump, I think, is pretty established in what he believes. But I think, you know, I mean, people knew Harris's name as VP, but what she stands for in many issues still is unclear. She hasn't given a lot of policy details. And so there's definitely room left for that second debate. I agree. Yeah, and Harris has flip-flop on a number of issues, and Trump didn't really take advantage of that.

First, she was adamantly against the border wall and four of the open borders that the Biden and Harris administration have had for the first three and a half years of their administration. she was against fracking. She was going to end fracking. Now she says she doesn't oppose franking and she will not end it. I don't know. What do you think the substance of a second debate that is not, looks like it's not happening now,

but what do you think the substance of the second debate should be about? Yeah, I mean, if I'm prepping Trump for this debate, I'm bringing up what you said, and I'm going to look Harris in the face and say, Harry, you know, Kamala, when's the last time you went to the grocery store. When you go to the grocery store, do you feel guilty at all? I mean, you know, obviously I'd be very partisan, but this is prepping Trump because, you know, and he can just pull out some stats. They're readily available. There are certain, you know, food items that are up 50% since she took office. And that's, I mean, that is, poll after poll shows that is voters number one concern. And she's responsible for, I mean, to what degree she's actually in reality

responsible for it is in question. But politically, it's very easy for Trump. to try to hold her responsible. She's in the White House. You know, nothing's been done. It's just a weight around her neck. So bringing that up and then going to other issues. Like, you know, now you're going soft on marijuana criminalization. But what would you say to those men that you put in prison as an attorney general in California

for marijuana? And now you're going soft on it. Like, can you look at the camera right now? And the daughters whose fathers are sitting in prison right now, that you put in jail for possessing marijuana. And now you're changing your stance for political reasons. Like, how do you sleep in that? Just really going after.

And he has to tell a story about Harris. You know, that's really what it is. And I don't think that the Trump campaign is, is told the story of who Harris is. And that's the problem. You know, the Democrats have told the story of Trump. And the story of Trump and they're telling is that Trump is a self-obsessed fascist who has risen to power in the way the fascists tend to do with the cult following. and who opposes democracy as fascist sensitive.

And of course, if you're a Trump supporter or moderate, you may not agree with that telling. But that's the telling. And I don't think they have a clear telling on who Kamala is. They kind of said she's weak. Maybe she's unintelligent. I think they're afraid to go hard on that because they don't want to be accused of sexism. So they haven't put Kamala into a story yet.

And they better do it quick because time's running out. Let's leave it there, Casey. Thank you for joining us. Listeners can keep up with the ongoing presidential campaign at the center square.com.