Harris lands in Philadelphia ahead of debate against Trump
Wesley Dockery | Saim Dušan Inayatullah
September 10, 2024
Democratic presidential nominee and current Vice President Kamala Harris is set to clash with rival Republican candidate and former President Donald Trump in a TV debate, as the November 5 general election looms.
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Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris arrived in Philadelphia in the northeastern US state of Pennsylvania on Monday ahead of a high-stakes TV debate with former Republican President Donald Trump in the city.
The debate, slated for Tuesday at 9 p.m. ET (0100 UTC on Wednesday), will be hosted by US broadcaster ABC News and held at Philadelphia's National Constitution Center. It will be the first time Trump and Harris have debated and even met each other.
How are Harris, Trump preparing for the debate?
Harris has said she feels "good" before the debate. At the same time, she said she is prepared for possible personal insults from Trump, with the former president having attacked Harris both on her racial identity and intelligence.
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"There's no floor for him in terms of how low he will go, and we should be prepared for that," Harris said on the Rickey Smiley radio show. "And we should be prepared for the fact that he is probably going to speak a lot of untruths."
"You can't prepare for President Trump. There's just no way to do it," Trump campaign adviser Jason Miller told journalists on Monday, likening Harris to "a boxer trying to prepare for Floyd Mayweather or Muhammad Ali."
"You [just] don't know what angle they're going to come at you with," Miller added.
Former Democratic Representative Tulsi Gabbard has been assisting Trump with his campaign preparations. Gabbard had earlier debated against Harris in the 2020 Democratic primaries.
Presentation, not just policy, can leave an impression
The debate will also be notable due to the presentation of the candidates. Harris was previously a prosecutor in her home state of California before ascending to higher office, whereas Trump is a convicted felon who faces dozens of charges.
Moreover, age also will play a role on the debate stage and how TV views perceive the duel. Trump is 78 years old, whereas Harris is 59.
Kamala Harris, Black and of South Asian descent, is the first woman and first person of color to serve as US vice president. She has broken many glass ceilings — could she also be the first female president of the US?
Image: Tony Avelar/AP/dpa/picture alliance
A family of immigrants
Kamala Devi Harris was born in Oakland, California on October 20, 1964. Her father, Donald J. Harris, is a renowned US-Jamaican scientist. Her mother, Shyamala Gopalan Harris, was a noted Indian biomedical scientist who conducted research into breast cancer. This undated photo shows Harris at her mother's lab in Berkeley, California.
After their parents divorced, Kamala Harris (left) and her younger sister, Maya, lived with their mother, moving to Montreal, Canada when Kamala was 12. Gopalan Harris died of cancer in 2009. "She raised us to be proud, strong Black women, and she raised us to know and be proud of our Indian heritage," said Harris as she accepted the Democratic Party's vice presidential nomination in 2020.
Both of Harris' parents were active in the US civil rights movement, and in her autobiography she wrote that this had a major impact on her own career. In this November 1982 photo, Harris is seen at the age of 18 during her freshman year at Howard University in Washington, taking part in an anti-apartheid demonstration.
Image: Courtesy of Kamala Harris/AFP
Law studies in California
Harris graduated from Howard University in 1986 and went on to study at the Hastings College of the Law at the University of California in San Francisco. In 1990, she began her career as a deputy district attorney in Alameda County, California.
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San Francisco's top prosecutor
In 2004, Harris was sworn in as San Francisco's first female district attorney, becoming also the first woman of color to hold the post. When she received the oath of office, her mother (center) held a copy of the US Bill of Rights in her hand. The document comprises the first 10 amendments to the constitution and guarantees personal freedoms and rights and clear limitations on government power.
Image: George Nikitin/AP Photo/picture alliance
From district attorney to attorney general
In January 2011, Harris took on the role of California's attorney general — once again, the first woman and the first person of color in the job. She attracted criticism for her opposition to the death penalty and her support of an anti-truancy program.
Image: Rich Pedroncelli/AP Photo/picture alliance
Move into politics
In 2016, Harris decided to run for the California State Senate — and won. She stepped down as attorney general and was sworn in by the outgoing vice president, Joe Biden, in January 2017. Her husband Douglas Emhoff, an entertainment lawyer whom she married in 2014, stood next to her with a Bible in his hand.
Image: Kevin Wolf/AP/dpa/picture alliance
Facing off with Biden
In early 2019, Harris announced she would be seeking the Democratic presidential nomination in the 2020 election against Donald Trump. She was up against Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders (center) and former Vice President Biden, among others. Harris pulled out of the race in December 2019 before the primaries, endorsing Biden in March 2020. He named her as his running mate in August.
Image: SAUL LOEB/AFP/Getty Images
From rivals to winners
In November 2020, Harris and Biden won the presidential election for the Democrats. They celebrated the historic win in Wilmington, Delaware — wearing face masks in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Image: Andrew Harnik/AP/dpa/picture alliance
Another political first
On January 20, 2021, Harris was sworn in as the first female vice president of the US and the first person of color to hold the post. The ceremony took place under strict security conditions: on January 6, Trump supporters had stormed the US Capitol building insisting that he had won the election.
Image: Rachel Wisniewski/REUTERS
Tasked with tackling migration
One of the first tasks Biden gave Harris was to look into the root causes of migration, primarily from South America. She visited various countries as part of her efforts, including Guatemala in June 2021. The Republican Party has repeatedly criticized Harris for failing to come up with an adequate solution to the thorny issue of illegal migration.
Image: Jacquelyn Martin/AP Photo/picture alliance
Staunch supporter of Ukraine, NATO
Like Biden, Harris is a strong advocate of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in his efforts to defend Ukraine against Russia, describing Russia's actions as "cruel," "horrendous" and "gruesome." At the Munich Security Conference in February 2024, Harris also pledged the US' ongoing support for NATO and international cooperation — a stark contrast to Republican presidential candidate Trump.
Image: TOBIAS SCHWARZ/AFP/Getty Images
Defender of abortion rights
Harris also differs from the Republican Party when it comes to the issue of abortion. After the US Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade and ended the constitutional right to abortion in June 2022, she launched a campaign for reproductive freedoms — an issue that is particularly important to young voters. Many Republicans want to restrict abortion rights even further.
Image: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
What are Harris' 2024 chances?
If the Democrats officially choose Harris as presidential candidate in August, she will have about 100 days to select a running mate and run a successful campaign against Trump. She has already received many endorsements and millions in donations since Sunday, and analysts say she could inspire people of color to vote for her. But racist and sexist attitudes could also work against her.
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Although the economy, immigration, foreign policy and other issues will be discussed on the debate stage, the way the candidates appear on screen could leave a lasting impression with voters.
In September 1960, then-Vice President Richard Nixon faced off in the first nationally televised presidential debate against US Senator John F. Kennedy. Prior to the debate, Nixon was the favorite in the race, with eight years of experience under his belt in President Dwight Eisenhower's administration and a wide lead over Kennedy in the electoral surveys.
However, Nixon appeared sickly during the debate, having recently been hospitalized for a knee injury. Kennedy, meanwhile, appeared more telegenic and youthful during the faceoff. Millions of Americans saw the TV debate, with Kennedy's electoral fortunes improving afterward and he wound up ultimately defeating Nixon in the November 1960 election.
Material from AP and AFP news agencies was used in the writing of this article