CNN anchor Abby Phillip has warned that the Democrat presidential nominee will not have it “so easy” when she faces her first debate against President Donald Trump.
The ABC News debate will take place on September 10.
It follows Thursday night’s softball interview with CNN’s Dana Bash – the first time Harris had spoken with the media since launching her campaign over a month ago.
However, voters are still not much more informed about Harris’s agenda after viewing 18 minutes of vague responses and word salad from the vice president during the pre-recorded and pre-edited interview.
Many are now warning that Harris will not be able to ignore President Trump on the debate stage in the same way she refused to respond to his criticisms during the friendly CNN interview.
Phillip warned that Harris will not get away with simply disregarding Trump’s criticisms when they are face-to-face.
“Let’s not be mistaken, Donald Trump is tall and very loud, and he’s very persistent,” Phillip said.
During the interview with CNN, Harris refused to respond to comments that Trump made about her switching racial identity.
During an interview with a hostile ANC News reporter at the National Association of Black Journalists, Trump correctly noted that Harris now identifies as black after previously referring to herself as Indian-American.
“I didn’t know she was black until a number of years ago when she happened to turn black and now, she wants to be known as black,” Trump said of Harris during the July event.
“So, I don’t know, is she Indian or is she black?”
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When questioned about Trump’s comments by Bash, Harris refused to respond.
“Same old tired playbook,” Harris said.
“Next question, please.”
Phillip was not convinced that Harris’s response would be adequate during the debate with Trump.
“It’s not going to be so easy to just say, ‘OK, let’s move on,’ he’s going to be right there on stage,” Phillip said.
CNN political commentators on Phillip’s panel were divided on how Harris would counter Trump on the debate stage.
Former National Coalitions Director for Biden-Harris 2020, Ashley Allison, argued that the VP should just ignore Trump’s comments during the debate.
She continued by claiming that the difference in height between the 45th president and Harris would make Trump “look like a bully.”
“The vice president is not very tall,” Allison said of Harris.
“She is a petite woman. Let him look like the bully.
“Let him throw out red meat and you rise above the occasion.
“That’s why I think it was so important that she did answer the question about race because actually that behavior is below the office of the president.”
CNN analyst David Axelrod said that Harris made the right decision in her CNN interview.
“That behavior of Donald Trump’s really does raise the question, ‘do you want this for the next four years or do you want someone who’s focused on your problems?'” Axelrod said.
“And I think that pivot works.”
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