Since she ascended to the top of the Democratic ticket in late July, Vice President Kamala Harris has seen all sorts of attacks from former President Donald Trump.
So far, those Trump missives against Harris don’t seem to be sticking — just look at her approval ratings, which have gone up since President Joe Biden stepped aside July 21.
One reason might be the way Harris is treating some of the more outlandish things that Trump says — by refusing to give him even more attention in response.
A prime example was at the end of July, when Trump accused Harris of emphasizing her race for political gain.
“I didn’t know she was Black until a number of years ago, when she happened to turn Black,” Trump said at the National Association of Black Journalists convention.
When asked about it, Harris said little.
“He suggested that you happened to turn Black recently for political purposes,” CNN’s Dana Bash said in an interview with Harris.
“Same old tired playbook,” Harris said. “Next question, please.”
“That’s it?” Bash said, evidently expecting more.
“That’s it,” answered Harris.
That interview produced little in the way of lasting “news,” just like Harris’ two-day bus trip in Georgia, as she has tried to stay on message.
It’s been a different story for Trump, who regularly lurches from controversy to controversy — just witness his recent campaign-style visit to Arlington National Cemetery.
While Harris put out a written statement castigating Trump over the Arlington matter, she didn’t give Trump any extra oxygen by mentioning it in her stump speech, sticking to her main warning about a Trump victory.
“America has tried those failed policies before,” Harris said of Trump on Labor Day, triggering the audience chant that has become a staple at her campaign events.
“We’re not going back. We’re not going back.”
Obviously, Tuesday’s debate offers a different dynamic, as Harris and Trump meet each other — in real life, and on the debate stage — for the first time.
Harris will have to make the choice before millions of viewers on how to deal with Trump’s barbs, especially if he decides to get personal. For example, Trump loves to mock her as “Comrade Kamala” and seems to enjoy intentionally mispronouncing her name.
Does Trump try that in the debate? If he does, how should Harris react?
So far, Harris has sort of tried to keep Trump on mute. That’s easy enough to do when he’s a few states away. But doing that on the debate stage presents a different challenge.
Jamie Dupree has covered national politics and Congress from Washington, D.C., since the Reagan administration. His column appears weekly in The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. For more, check out his Capitol Hill newsletter at http://jamiedupree.substack.com
