Hillary Clinton recently shared valuable debate tips from her personal experience against Donald Trump, offering advice to Vice President Kamala Harris ahead of her debate.
The New York Times reported that Clinton discussed her debate strategies with Vice President Kamala Harris, drawing on her encounters with Donald Trump in 2016.
Clinton's three 2016 presidential debates with Donald Trump were pivotal in shaping public perception of Trump's candidacy and presidency potential. These debates continue to influence the Democratic Party, particularly as they reflect on Trump's subsequent electoral victory.
Clinton has conferred with her former debate coach, Karen Dunn, who now assists Kamala Harris, sharing insights and strategies that could benefit Harris in her upcoming debate against Trump.
According to Clinton, her meticulous preparations were key to her perceived victories in all three debates against Trump during the 2016 campaign.
During her debate preparations, Clinton emphasized her readiness for the presidency, focusing on counteracting Trump's dominant presence and deflecting his tactics. She believes this approach was essential in managing the debate's flow and maintaining focus on substantive issues.
Clinton's advice to Harris underscores the necessity of being prepared for both offensive and defensive positions during the debate. She emphasizes the importance of a balanced strategy to handle the complexities of debating Trump, who often eschews direct answers for more aggressive tactics.
“The consensus was that I won all three debates and that I was well prepared,” Clinton stated, reflecting on her 2016 debate performance.
“It was the first debate when Trump literally ridiculed me for preparing. This was not something we had thought about beforehand, because who thought we could be ridiculed for preparing for a presidential debate in front of 85 or 90 million people? So basically I said, yeah, I did prepare. And I’ll tell you something else I prepared for: I prepared to be president. Because I had the confidence. I knew the material. I felt comfortable. I also knew I had to brush Trump back and not let him be the center of attention all the time,” recounted Hillary Clinton.
Clinton's recount of her first debate highlights the unpredictability of Trump's tactics, which often include avoiding direct answers and a lack of specificity. Her preparation aimed to counter these methods by ensuring she could redirect focus to pertinent issues and maintain control of the debate narrative.
“She’s proven to be a good debater, both in her races in California and in her debate with Mike Pence. So I think she needs to be prepared enough that she feels really comfortable going on both offense and defense against Trump, because there’s a lot to cover with him,” Hillary Clinton advised regarding Kamala Harris.
Clinton also observed Trump's tendency to employ a "scorched-earth approach" in debates, aiming to undermine his opponent's credibility rather than engage substantively.
She noted, “He doesn’t answer the questions. He doesn’t come with any specifics. It appears from the reporting that he is going with a scorched-earth approach and will just try to tear her down, which is his usual go-to strategy.”
As the debate approaches, Harris is leveraging the insights and experiences shared by Clinton to refine her strategy. This preparation could be crucial in navigating the challenges posed by Trump's debate style.
