BOSTON (WHDH) - A new presidential debate is bringing with it a new rival for former President Donald Trump Tuesday.
But as he gets set to take the stage in Philadelphia, Trump is leaning on a familiar playbook for preparations, meeting with senior advisors and policy experts.
Vice President Kamala Harris is taking a different approach, holding mock debates and seeking advice from people who have sparred with Trump before, including former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and President Joe Biden.
On the eve of the debate, 7NEWS spoke with Emerson College pollster Spencer Kimball, who said the stakes in this event may be especially high for Harris, since she is more of an unknown candidate than Trump.
“Voters are going to look at everything she says and how she acts and walk away with their impression of her,” Kimball said Monday night. “And that’s going to be very costly.”
“If she has a great night, she has a chance to win over some voters,” Kimball said. “If she has a poor night, there’s a chance that they slip away.”
Trump was on the debate stage in June when he faced Biden. The current president’s performance in debate sparked weeks of concern and ultimately prompted Biden to end his re-election campaign.
Biden endorsed Harris as his replacement atop the Democratic ticket.
After Harris secured the Democratic nomination, named Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her running mate, and rallied her party at the Democratic National Convention, attention quickly turned to a new debate with Trump.
Representatives from both campaigns reportedly sparred over rules for the debate before settling on a similar slate of rules to those used in the June debate.
Each candidate will be allowed two minutes to answer questions. Microphones will only be live for the candidate whose turn it is to speak. And candidate will not be allowed to bring prewritten notes on stage.
There will be no live audience.
With the first early ballots in the general election set to go to voters hours before the debate, Kimball said the challenge for both Harris and Trump will be to define the presidential race in ways that favor their respective bids for the White House.
“Is it about immigration? Is it about the economy? Is it about threats to democracy?” he said. “That’s what I think both candidates are going to wrestle up against on Tuesday night — defining what this campaign is for the voters.”
Beyond Tuesday, there are no further presidential debates currently scheduled.
The vice presidential debate between Walz and Sen. JD Vance of Ohio is set for Oct. 1.
Tuesday’s ABC News Presidential Debate is scheduled to begin at 9 p.m. 7NEWS will have a simulcast of the debate.
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