Six days ahead of the presidential debate between former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris, Trump is doubling down on his claim that preparation-wise, “There’s not a lot to do.”
As Harris, 59, is set to visit New Hampshire on Wednesday, Trump, 78, spoke on the Pulse of NH radio station about his debate preparation — or lack thereof. The presidential candidates will come face to face for a debate airing on ABC on September 10.
“I think this is true with a lot of people, but they don’t say it: I’ve been prepared for this debate my whole life,” Trump told host Jack Heath.
Follow Newsweek’s Live Blog For Coverage
Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump speaks with Moms for Liberty co-founder Tiffany Justice during an event at the group’s annual convention in Washington, Friday, Aug. 30, 2024.
AP Photo
“You can’t sit in a log cabin like Mitt Romney. Did you remember he sat there for four weeks at a log cabin, didn’t talk to anybody, and then he came out, he couldn’t speak? You can’t do that,” he claimed of the former presidential candidate.
Trump claimed that he “has meetings” about the upcoming debate, “but there’s not much to do. You know your subject or not. Either have good policy or not.”
Trump said of Harris, “She’s changed every policy. That’s why she doesn’t want to debate because she doesn’t know what she’s changed every policy. I think there are 14 changes she made. It’s a disgrace.”
The former Apprentice star said something similar about debate prep to reporters last month, admitting “I’m not, really, I’m not [preparing]. I’m not spending a lot of time on it. I think my whole life I’ve been preparing for a debate.”
Meanwhile, Harris is reportedly setting aside time between her campaign events to prepare to face Trump. She is allegedly focusing on remaining unfazed by Trump’s personal attacks and reminding viewers of life during the Trump years.
Kamala Harris speaks at a campaign event at Northwestern High School in Detroit, on September 2. Vance has criticized Harris’ economic policies.
AP
Trump also used his radio interview on Wednesday to once again call out Harris for not giving media interviews as he and his running mate JD Vance have been doing. A pre-recorded interview with Harris and her running mate Tim Walz aired on CNN on Thursday night which was mostly met with approval that she can give unscripted interviews.
“She’s either not smart enough to do them, or something’s wrong,” Trump said of his rival’s lack of facetime with the press. “There’s something wrong.”
Trump went on to call Harris a “Marxist” and “fascist” when it comes to the economy.
“We can’t go another four years with a dumb president. We can’t do it,” he added. “We had four years with a president that should never have been there, and we can’t have it. We’re not going to have a country left.”
During her CNN interview, Harris addressed several notable points, emphasizing that her “values have not changed,” even though her stance on banning fracking and decriminalizing the border has evolved since her 2020 campaign. Harris also outlined her economic plan, announcing that her first-day priority would be to implement her “opportunity economy” strategy, aimed at reducing everyday expenses. Additionally, she proposed increasing the child tax credit to $6,000 for families during their child’s first year.
Regarding Trump’s criticisms about her race, Harris, who has Indian and Jamaican heritage, was hesitant to engage. She dismissed Trump’s claim that she had “suddenly turned Black” for political purposes as part of the “same old, tired playbook,” and moved on with, “Next question, please.”
Follow Newsweek’s election live blog for updates.
Do you have a story Newsweek should be covering? Do you have any questions about this story? Contact LiveNews@newsweek.com
