Both Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump are preparing for their debate on Tuesday, and each campaign has a different team helping them do it.
The ABC debate on September 10 will be the first presidential debate since President Joe Biden went head-to-head with Trump in June.
Since then, a lot has changed—not least the entire Democratic ticket. With many people attributing Biden’s eventual decision to drop out of the 2024 race to his poor performance in the June debate, both campaigns are taking this next one seriously.
However, each candidate is approaching it in a different way. Trump’s campaign has so far tried to project confidence, saying that there is “not a lot to do” in order to prepare their candidate for a good showing.
Above to the left, Democratic presidential candidate Vice President Kamala Harris speaks at a Labor Day event at Northwestern High School in Detroit, Michigan on September 2. Above to the right, Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump speaks during a press conference at Trump Tower on September 6 in New York City.
Jeff Kowalsky/AFP/Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images
Meanwhile, Harris’ team is looking to capitalize on the new momentum her entry to the top of the ticket brought the campaign, despite polls indicating that her honeymoon is over.
Kamala Harris’ Debate Prep Team
Karen Dunn
Karen Dunn is a lawyer who previously helped Harris prepare for her debates with then Vice President Mike Pence during the 2020 election cycle. A veteran trial lawyer, Dunn also helped other Democratic nominees Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton in their preparations.
Rohini Kosoglu
As a former Deputy Assistant to the President and as Harris’ Domestic Policy Advisor, Rohini Kosoglu has a strong grasp on the campaign’s policy positions and how to best deliver them. Alongside Dunn, she is co-leading the debate prep efforts, according to Politico.
Minyon Moore
Moore is one of Harris’ longtime allies, and has significant sway within the Democratic party. She was chair of the Democratic National Convention which saw Harris confirmed as the party’s candidate this year, and has been advising the vice president on strategy since Harris was a California senator.
Also on the team:
- Brian Nelson, the campaign’s domestic policy adviser
- Cedric Richmond, the campaign co-chair
Donald Trump’s Debate Prep Team
Matt Gaetz
As one of Trump’s most vocal supporters both within Congress and without, Gaetz has reportedly been firing practice questions at the Republican nominee, ensuring Trump is ready to answer well on tricky issues, including his indictments, abortion stances, and hush-money payments.
Tulsi Gabbard
The former Democratic congresswoman for Hawaii reached new levels of prominence after clips of her exchange with Harris at a debate during the Democratic primaries ahead of the 2020 election went viral. With the Trump campaign looking to recreate a similar moment, Gabbard has been advising the former president informally.
Jason Miller
Miller is one of the Trump campaign’s most senior advisors, and has put a lot of effort into the framing of Harris heading into the debate. He has kept Trump on message with attacks leading up to the debate.
Also on the team:
- Stephen Miller, one of the campaign’s top policy advisors
- Vince Haley and Ross Worthington, Trump’s favorite speech writers.
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