What to watch for when Harris debates Trump

Will either Kamala Harris or Donald Trump deliver a compelling message in tonight’s debate to swing voters while bolstering the confidence of their respective bases?

Will Harris deliver a policy message? Harris has been vice president for nearly four years. Still, 28% of likely voters in a recent New York Times/Siena College poll said they needed to know more about her.

The debate will provide a platform for Harris to address that. She has drilled down on two issues: cost of living and reproductive rights. The latter is an obvious place of strength. Her position is vastly more popular than Trump’s and her ability to speak about it is significantly stronger than Biden’s. It also fits neatly into a broader message about personal freedoms.

The economy is a stickier wicket. Her campaign has sought to stay close to what the Biden administration has been preaching while injecting it with a populist freshness.

And while there’s little reason to expect Harris to deviate from her strategy, which has been to speak broadly while rationing specifics, she will be pushed to provide a clearer picture of how she ranks her priorities.

Harris is also likely to be pressed on some recent policy switcharoos.

Trump to face cross-examination on abortion Trump has at times boasted of appointing three of the six Supreme Court Justices who voted in 2022 to gut Roe v. Wade, ending federal protections for abortion. “I’m proud to have done it,” he once proclaimed.

The former president himself has offered a variety of positions and takes on the issue, the most consistent being that abortion policy should be determined by the states. Asked what state policies he supports, Trump has failed to deliver a clear answer.

How does Harris address the war in Gaza? Because of the diverse, fragile Democratic coalition that she needs to keep onside, Harris has not been fully clear on her Middle East plan.

Both in her convention speech and on the newly minted “issues” page on her campaign website, Harris has made the case for Israel’s defense, along with the creation of a neighboring Palestinian state, and security for both. Critics say she is cutting the proverbial baby in half

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