How Kamala Harris is preparing to debate Donald Trump

on Tuesday Donald Trump and kamla Harris will face off in their first presidential debate Harris is already in Pennsylvania preparing with her team while Trump is sticking to the campaign Trail where he had this to say about his opponent's strategy she's right now practicing do you know that she's in Pennsylvania and she's practicing for the debate she's locked herself in a room it's got a lot to learn everyone really prepares for debate but so Bob Barnett has been in those prep rooms he's a lawyer who's worked on 10 10 US Presidential campaigns preparing candidates like Michael dakus Bill Clinton Barack Obama Hillary Clinton and Tim Kane each time playing the role of their opponent in mock debates Bob Barnett so nice of you to join us thanks for making the time for Canada hello Canada I'm happy to be with you I love your country listen so much has changed obviously since the last debate it's now Camala Harris instead of uh Joe Biden um you've got a republican nominee who survived an assassination attempt and we saw that the last debate mattered because that's what I think caused uh President Biden to to make the decision at least in part what are the stakes going into this one do you think Bob Barnett well sometimes these matter sometimes they don't this one I think really matters I think that it's uh unlike the routine three debates between two candidates who've been out there forever we have one candidate who is uh a former president who at least in the last debate couldn't stay on script and couldn't resist and just as recently as this week at the uh court hearing he spent 45 minutes not talking about the debate not talking about what he's going to do for the country but talking about the women who War wronged him yeah and we have on the other side a candidate who has been Vice President of the United States Senator Attorney General Etc but it's not well known uh and I think that this debate will be part an important part of the process of introducing herself to the American people and establishing her qualifications so it's unlike any debate we've ever seen and I think for both candidates there's a lot at stake so because you've done that debate prep with Bill Clinton with Hillary Clinton with Barack Obama and others how would you think that kamla Harris is preparing for this kind of debate and preparing to take on someone like Donald Trump well she has a great team around her most all of them are people I've worked with on multiple Cycles uh the goal when you're Staffing a debate and as I say I've done I've done 10 Cycles is to design a process that fits the candidate not that fits the wise guy staffers that are sitting around the table right so they've undoubtedly designed a process that fits her needs I would guess and it's only a guess I'm not involved that they would have started with a very good briefing book with the 80 90 issues that could come up what her positions have been including her positions as vice president what Trump is say what are Trump's likely attacks and what are her answers and what are her attacks that briefing book is indispensable and on our side at least all the times I've been involved we start with that we then spend time sitting at table and talking through those materials refining them uh making them as targeted as possible and reducing them to very short answers because you can know everything in the world about these subjects but when you have to give a 90 second answer it's an art yeah then I think they probably would do sample Q&A probably at the table working through the questions then go to the podiums and do 15 minute segments 30 minute segments tape them review them right refine them tape them again and then finally probably at this point in the evening to mirror the time of the actual debate they're likely doing full mock debates with questioners and Trump player and the candidate going through different scenarios that could come up and that's the way you best prepare and I I think she has from my knowledge of them the really best people possible with her do do you think that just in light of the kind of speeches that she's given that they're going to lean on the fact that she is a former prosecutor and and that she will try and prosecute Trump in that debate or would you expect a kind of different strategy well I think that uh these debates can take many forms uh and every answer can take a different form I hope that she will find the opportunity to attack his quote unquote record uh reut his quote unquote positions and while not violating the rules of the debate ask questions by simp planting them I wonder what Mr Trump would say about this or I haven't heard Mr Trump speak about this which is a way of almost forcing your opponent to be talking on your territory not his because you don't want to leave that sitting on the table unanswered for sure I I know you have views about the moderator that the CNN moderators were I think criticized a bit because they just put the questions out there they didn't fact check and they didn't insert themselves into the debate what is your view on on how the moderators should approach this debate it's not the role of the moderators to be a third candidate but it is in my opinion the role of the moderators to fact check and follow up there will be a decision made in the bowels of ABC news whether they will agree with that or not I don't know what that decision is but I think at the very least when a candidate either candidate either side says something that is manifestly inaccurate or completely avoids a question a good moderator follows up and a good moderator fact Texs so I hope that uh David and Lindsay will do that uh the CNN people made a strategic decision not to do that I I think that it's important for a journalist moderator to be an active to take an active role in the discussion without becoming a third candidate yeah which is hard to do but but I I I take your point so this is the the first debate for the two of them would you and I think the first time they're actually meeting in in person to as well would you expect there to be another one or is it just too high risk for for both candidates these kinds of environments I would expect that this will be the only one uh if Trump desperately needs it he'll push for it and Harris will not comply if Harris desperately needs it she'll push for it and Trump will probably not comply uh I don't think they will do what I wish they would do which is for the best interest of the country and informing voters have a full three but I don't see that happening given the nature of Donald Trump and given the extremely short campaign that we're dealing with with here unlike any uh any event in American history uh this thing effectively began when she got the nomination and ends in November usually it goes on for two years yeah yeah I I know you're a Democrat but do you think that someone has the advantage that one of the candidates has an advantage well I think that Harris certainly has the momentum going into the debate uh the uh decision by President Biden which was a heroic decision historic decision to drop out and pass the torch to her was followed by an amazing coalesence uh Bill Clinton always says Republicans fall in line Democrats have to fall in love uh they fell in line this time and fell in love which is very rare in the 50 years I've been involved in this I think that the uh reception that followed that coalesence was remarkable the convention went very well The Pick of Governor walls was well received I believe and very wise and he's well above water while JD Vance is well below water in the polls and so she's got the momentum I think that her disadvantage is that she's not known but this an opportunity to cure that I think judging especially by this week's Court appearances Donald Trump is going to be Donald Trump he clearly went into that first debate with eight answers and almost whatever was asked if it was on the subject of one of those answers he just went right into it ignoring the question yeah um I don't think he'll get away with that again I don't think he get away with that because I think David and Lindsay won't allow that but I also don't think Harris is going to be passive about that and she's going to point out his failure to answer and point out what the true record is and dis and discredit lies so he'll be debating a very different opponent than he was with President Biden last time around well it'll be fascinating to watch Bob Barnett I really so appreciate being able to tap into your experience and your expertise on this I hope you'll come back again thank you so much sir yeah happy to be with you and because of the danger that that Donald Trump poses uh not only am I not voting for Donald Trump but I will voting for col haris that's former Republican congresswoman Liz Cheney endorsing Democratic Presidential nominee nominee kamla Harris that was a few days ago another sign of a very different US presidential campaign that we're used to seeing her father former US uh Vice President Dick Cheney has also endorsed Harris so we will start there on our American Round Table this week with us today is Franchesca Chambers White House correspondent at USA Today and wingrove White House reporter with Bloomberg News good to see both of you and Franchesca special thanks to you for uh you're out on the trail there so for stepping outside and talking to us from there let's start with those chainy endorsements because they were both surprising to me frankly maybe Dick Cheney a little bit more um because he was the of course the former vice president for for George W but he did put out a release saying that uh there's never been an individual who is a greater threat to our Republic than Donald Trump so Franchesca how big a deal are these endorsements well Liz Cheney had served on the January 6 committee and she also had been primaried by a trump back candidate and that's how she lost her Congressional scene so we knew where she stood on Donald Trump but as far as the Harris campaign goes they are targeting disaffected Republicans in this election you had Adam kinzinger another former Republican congressman who is no longer in Congress endorse kamla Harris and also speak at the Democratic National Convention vention as well and so her campaign Harris's campaign has told me that they think that there's room to grow with that voting block yeah it it's so interesting that there that there is a sort of a direct appeal to these disaffected Republicans uh Josh and and Dick Cheney actually endorsed Trump back in 2016 but he's obviously seen uh that he that he doesn't like Trump as president what what do you think is the the chance that this will attract other people I think the jury's out a little bit remember this is a two-way fight with Trump trotting out RFP Jr for instance who of course doesn't align with the Kennedy family on basically any any issue whatsoever uh but still has the last name Kennedy and so that's been a subject of great interest over this campaign uh look it could matter you've got some of these prom prominent ones including the former lieutenant governor of Georgia which is a key Battleground Harris is basically hoping people will come to the polls and even if they vote Republican on every other thing know as ticket splitting which has been a declining thing in America hasn't happened it's happening less and less she's hoping that this is kind of making a comeback and that people will vote even if they're Republican and they're voting Republican and everything else that they just can't stomach the idea of Donald Trump I I I say there is also an open question as to whether we'll see more of these people the chenis are big names but me many members of Trump's own cabinet have been on the record in the past saying they don't think he should be back in the Oval Office we haven't heard from a lot of them in several months I think that's something up in the air here will those former direct Trump officials cabinet officials Chiefs of Staff whatever that have objected either said to have objected on background you know through reports or publicly in the past come forward and give a similar message I think it's an open question right now Franchesca as I said you're you're out on the road you're actually at a Harris campaign office near Philadelphia this morning that's uh close to where the debate will be on Tuesday um uh and we'll get we'll get to that debate in a moment but Pennsylvania is important because it's a swing state that will play a big role in in who wins the White House can you give us a sense of what's at stake what you're watching for in that state right now I'm near the office it's not the food truck back there to be clear although that might be fun yeah but I have here haris campaign office that is in Norristown Pennsylvania which is in Montgomery County now that is a key Battleground County in this pH here Democrats need to turn out the vote in these collar counties around Philadelphia if she wants to win Pennsylvania and Pennsylvania as you noted is a key Battleground state in this election with its 19 electoral votes now when it comes to this upcoming debate in Philadelphia one major question will be how much she goes on the attack against the former president of the United States she has Sid stepped his personal insults when he tried to make her race an issue in a CNN interview when she was asked about it she said next question please but in a 90minut debate when he's expected to hurl personal insults at her which he said he thinks are fair it will be harder for her to not get sucked into to what he's saying and focus on her message and she want what she wants to achieve which is about talk about her policies and what she do as president but also to rebut other things that he said on the campaign trail that she wants to bring up yeah Josh I know you were talking to my producer before this about how much things have upended since we last spoke before the summer I mean you can't you can't make this up that's why we love politics um and and that debate was so such a key factor in Biden eventually leaving so how important is it for both kamla Harris and Donald Trump yeah Rosie I did not make it home to Canada very much this summer I have to I have to admit uh my my plans got thrown overboard yeah this is a this is a big one they actually have barely been in the same room before in the Senate but like she basically has not spoken with Trump ever and so this is the stakes on this one are high and I should know like polls show this is a completely new rate the money that KLA Harris is Raising is jaw-dropping and unlike anything Biden had those of us who've been on the trail including Franchesco of course we've seen a big shift in enthusiasm among democrats for sure it's still basically a coin talk yeah you know it is not a case where it looks like Harris has got this momentum and is like breaking away from Trump in any one situation and it does look like Pennsylvania not only is one of the swing States but will be the ball game I came back from there yesterday I think Harris will spend as much time there as any other state so I think right now for her she is trying to Define herself and he is trying to Define her she has switched her mind about a lot of things in the last five years or so when she ran for president last time she tacked to the progressive Wing Joe Biden's Deputy he's a moderate she's taking a lot of different positions now Trump will accuse her of flip-flopping try to paint her as a radical in other words he is campaigning against 2019 version of KLA Harris KLA Harris is trying to Define herself as a more big tent centerof the road Democrat in other words a Democrat who can have dick cheni and Alexandria Kazo Cortez you know in the same room for proverbially voting for her so that's the big question right now poll show people still don't know a lot about KLA Harris they know a lot about Donald Trump like him or hate him yeah and and Francesca that is sort of why it's so important for kamla Harris on Tuesday because beyond that the convention which not every American was watching this is an opportunity for her to introduce herself or reintroduce herself and maybe push past some of those things Josh was talking about some of the flip-flops that she's had in terms of her own policy positions yeah many Americans that I've spoken to Independent voters undecided voters uh even prior to her becoming the nominee consistently told me they just didn't know very much about what she done as vice president now of course her office in her campaign would say that that's maybe because the media hasn't covered it enough there's also things though about the pandemic where she wasn't out in America in the same way that we would see vice presidents or even the president earlier in in the election but now she's the one who's the candidate they do have questions about her policy so whether people watch the debate directly there will be Clips airing on television of course Josh and I will be doing stories as well as other reporters and based on what I'm hearing voters will be looking to that to hear more about what she'd do if she was elected and and this comes Josh just last word to you as the the judge and Donald Trump's uh hush money trial delayed the criminal sentencing until after the election wi- which I guess is good news for him because it at least puts that sort of out of people's minds again it's great news for him we're waiting on two things in that case one is his ruling on how the Supreme Court's immunity ruling is affecting it and then of course the sentence itself both are now going to come after the election uh so Trump will be sentenced assuming that the case isn't affected by the thing which we don't know by the ruling but if he is sentenced he'll be either sentenced as the president-elect or as the recently defeated uh candidate we just don't know there are so many moving Parts on this one but that's another thing that I'm looking for on Tuesday is how much Harris a former prosecutor leans into his 34 felony conviction yeah it's going to be um good to watch it's gonna be a good a good debate of that I'm sure the last one was too but for a whole other bag of reasons Franchesca thanks for making the time on the road there Josh always nice to see you uh we'll talk again soon you guys have fun down there uh we've got a e