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The two leading candidates for president have never been in the same room or spoken to each other – a situation that will now change when they face each other for a debate.
Democrat and Vice President Kamala Harris and Republican candidate and former President Donald Trump have never been meters apart, according to the The New York Times Katie RogersHarris has also never spoken to Trump or met him in person.
The only time they were close was when Harris, then a Senator from California, attended Trump’s On the state of the nation addresses.
Although both have been major players in politics for years, it is not surprising that there have been no encounters so far. They belong to different parties and have never worked in the same industry at the same time. Harris was the vice presidential candidate in 2020, when much of the campaign was put on hold due to the COVID pandemic. Trump also skipped the inauguration of Biden and Harris in 2021.
Before running for office in 2020, Harris served as Senator and Attorney General of California.
Trump had no political experience before his election in 2016 and his re-candidacy in 2020. However, he operated primarily from his homes in Florida or New York.
The two will face each other in person in a few weeks when they host a debate moderated by ABC on September 10.
“Assuming Donald Trump actually shows up on September 10 to debate Vice President Harris, Governor (Tim) Walz will see JD Vance on October 1, and the American people will have another opportunity to see the Vice President and Donald Trump on the debate stage in October,” Michael Tyler, communications director for the Harris campaign, said in a statement.
Trump has called three debates, one of them proposed for 4 September on Fox News.
“I hope she agrees with them,” Trump said during a press conference at Mar-a-Lago earlier this month. “I think they will be very insightful.”
Harris has already started preparing for her debate, according to the JustShe took a break from the Election campaign to consult with advisors and participated in at least one mock debate.
During the meetings, Harris was questioned about her message and strategy for the debate, the report said.
The hope is that the vice president has a plan to differentiate herself from Trump and bring her vision to Americans, many of whom still don’t know her because she was pushed to the top of the list of candidates after President Joe Biden dropped out of the race.
Philippe Reins, who helped Hilary Clinton prepare for the debates in 2016, is also assisting Harris. Reins is playing Trump’s role in Harris’s preparation, even dressing to look like her Republican rival.
