What to expect as Harris, Trump face off in Tuesday debate | Power Play with Vassy Kapelos

[Music] and we know it is one of the highest forms of patriotism to fight for the ideals of our country and that's what this election is about and about the promise of America we're run by stupid people stupid stupid [Applause] people and we found that out at the debate with Joe how did that work out and we're going to find out out again on Tuesday night is anybody going to be [Music] watching well that's one way to set it up it is set to be a debate for the ages okay maybe not as consequential as the last debate which was the beginning of the end for then Democratic nominee Joe Biden but it will be the first time the Democrats new nominee vice president kamla Harris faces off against her rival for the presidency former president Donald Trump let's bring back the front bench to talk about what to expect Dan Molton Shakir Chambers Kathleen Monk and Laura Stone Kathleen we we were together for the last debate you called it this could be the beginning of the end for for Joe Biden in in that moment how big are the stakes for this one in your view I think they're huge there's only 56 days left to the election uh KLA Harris has been the candidate only for a few weeks every moment counts and actually we just saw a pool today at the New York Times that shows that Trump's back in the lead nationally I mean it's just one pool but it's it's tight and he's in the lead and I think that's concerning why because we've always said on on your radio show and elsewhere vashy that the most effective um kind of framing that Trump can use against KLA is that she's just like Biden and he's been effective on using that attack on immigration on the economy on jobs he's trying to pay KLA just like Biden just like lazy Joe and it's working and she hasn't fully introduced yourself to voters yet I mean don't get me wrong democratic convention was you know uh amazing for political like me to watch it was a great debut but was very controlled she hasn't been in these kind of uncontrolled situations yet and so I actually think tomorrow night debate is actually really consequential and she's got to start actually talking about her biography who she is appealing to voters she's losing right now among older voters and particularly white voters uh and that's where Trump is picking up and so she's got to speak to all those voters get some of that working class white vote back in and and really try to move the needle and letting voters in America know who she is and why they should vote for her I feel like Laura over the weekend you could also see there was a lot of expectation setting going on uh because they have talked constantly talked about and understandably so her prosecutorial background and her sort of skills in that vein but a lot of her her delegates like Josh Shapiro various Governors across the states they were going on Sunday programs and other political programs saying hey don't underestimate Trump he actually is a skilled debator he you know can throw a lot of say a lot of things in the moment that he may not actually mean or that he won't follow through on but certainly appeal to the audience that's watching in that in that moment or in that time uh what do you what do you think about the sort of relative Stakes for each of them tomorrow night I think the stakes are huge for KLA Harris because as as noted she's much more of an unknown entity I mean we don't really know a ton about her policy positions on on a variety of issues we don't know how she um how she reacts in the moment and I think there's there's nothing that Donald Trump trump can do or say that really surprises or shocks people anymore I think you've kind of learned to expect the un expected with him and you know he can be um quite cutting to put it mildly when he wants to be and it will be um very interesting to see how she reacts on her feet how she goes up against his attacks and kind of where those Sparks Fly but I think certainly for her the stakes are much much higher she's a much more unknown entity to America than Donald Trump has been for the past few years I do think though when it comes to Trump himself like it's been interesting to watch all the reporting around how his advisers on the campaign have constantly warned him not to get too personal and how he just cannot help himself and I imagine in an arena like the debate where you do have a much broader audience Beyond his base who that kind of rhetoric might resonate with if he can't help himself again that's a potential vulnerability on his side too I think yeah Trump's lack of discipline is obviously going to be a massive concern but I think uh to what cathine and and even Laura said earlier uh the fact that camil is not really known to a lot of people people we know Donald Trump's going to go on rants but if he can bring those rants back to some kind of key themes around whether it's you know camil Harris is too liberal or you know flip-flopping on policy or even presenting her as potentially a weak leader I think he can do pretty well in the debate because I think it's built in that Donald Trump is going to be kind of off-the-wall and some of the things that he says so I think people are pressing that into his presentation but he has to have some level of discipline in terms of how he frames uh miss harth moving forward I just think for for for Camila Harris uh if she can go on the offensive I think she'll be just fine right at the end of the day Donald Trump is a convicted felon uh his position on abortion changes almost every day if not uh every hour and I think for her if she can just like even put him in his place at certain times in the debate I think a lot of people will get behind that as someone who can you know check this force uh of Donald Trump but if she gets bogged down and defending you know her policy reversals over the years it's not going to be a good situation or a good look for her how did you like what kind of advice would you give Dan in that vein like how do you constantly pivot to where you are on the offense rather than consistently defending yourself obviously the moderators will play a role in that but uh it can be kind of limited too as we saw in the last debate yeah well I mean she has to land some pretty direct punches tomorrow in order for the post-debate narrative to be fixated on how successful she was or how weak Trump was or frankly uh make the post- debate National conversation about Donald Trump right like that is success for KLA Harris on the other side of this debate and so there's lots of ways to get there you could try and survive you could try and do it sort of boring quiet or you could go on the offense like Shakir talks about and and really land some harsh punches the only way she wins though whatever strategy she takes is if the national conversation is on Donald Trump on the other side of it she will win this election if on Election Day if it's a referendum on Donald Trump if on Election Day or if post debate the national conversation is about KLA Harris and if on Election Day this is a referendum on her and her record or whether or not she's too liberal or not she will lose and so I think this is a very consequential debate to Kathleen's point in that it will chart the path for the next eight weeks it will chart the path uh towards the election day question that voters are going to have on their Minds when they show up to vote uh and I think both candidates have a chance to really cement uh the position that they'll be in for those uh those weeks ahead I am most curious to see because we know based on everything everyone said plus what Trump has said so far that he is going to very much focus on the Biden record and her association with that how she delineates between what she'll pursue Kathleen and and what that record actually is yeah but that's exactly why Dan is right she's got to focus voters attention and gaze back onto Trump why they dislike him why they don't want him in office again and remind uh them of some of his failures economic failures as president but conversely what I'm worried about is kamla kamla too much of her prosecutor self coming out tomorrow I want to hear about her her jobs when she was in high school and and her life more of her bio so she has to carefully she has to because she has to let voters get to know who she is because they don't know her yet and they have to like her you have to like who you want to vote for actually it's very rare most women but you do you know and also and and she as prosecutor she might possibly go too far and look and and and kind of create like be too strong which is crazy to say but she no but she she has to dial that back in the same way that has to dial back his emotional regulation but she needs to tell the story of who she is and why she wants this job okay guys there's so much exciting stuff to look for I appreciate it thanks for a great discussion our wonderful front bench Dan Molton shakure Chambers Kathleen Monk and Laura Stone