Mike Pence Was the Last Person to Debate Kamala Harris. His Advice to Trump

Looking to the debate Tuesday night, former Vice President Mike Pence remembers his own discussion with Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic nominee, four years ago, and had some advice for his former boss, Donald Trump.
“We went into that debate with the expectation that she would be formidable, that she would be poised, and that she would make her case,” he told RealClearPolitics in an article that was published on Monday. “I think we were right about the first two things, and not really the third in this sense: She either can’t, or won’t, defend her record.”
In 2020, Harris told Pence “I’m speaking,” as he interrupted her during their debate, sparking memes and an infamous catchphrase.
In his interview with RealClearPolitics, Pence gave former President Trump some straightforward advice.
“My advice to my old running mate is that he should challenge her to defend her record,” he said while also offering Trump more specific instructions. “Answer the question as quickly as you can, but then I think he should attack.”
On Tuesday, Harris will go toe-to-toe with Pence’s former boss Donald Trump, the Republican presidential nominee, on the ABC News debate stage for the first time. Nerves and excitement will be high that night as Americans tune in to the much-anticipated debate in Philadelphia following a dismal performance from President Joe Biden in Atlanta in late June when he went up against Trump.
Biden’s debate performance had magnified concerns about his age and ability to beat Trump and led to concerns within the Democratic Party, with some urging him to exit the race so the party could pick a new nominee. Weeks later on July 21, Biden announced he was ending his reelection campaign and endorsed Harris to take his place. Harris then launched her own bid for president and later accepted the party’s nomination at the Democratic National Convention on August 22.
Harris arrived at the Omni William Penn Hotel in Pittsburgh early Thursday afternoon as The New York Times reported on Saturday that Harris is “holed up” for five days in a hotel room in the city in preparation for the debate. While Harris’ debate prep is “highly choreographed,” as the Times put it, Trump’s campaign is not even calling it “debate prep” but rather “policy time” in which the former president has held a few sessions so far.
Newsweek has emailed the Trump and Harris campaigns, along with Pence’s office on Monday afternoon for comment.
Those who have previously debated Harris and advised her competitors point to several strengths she brings to the stage. These include her experience as a prosecutor, especially in light of Trump’s status as the first U.S. president to be convicted of a felony crime. However, those close to the vice president caution that facing off against Trump can be complex and unpredictable.
“She can meet the moment,” Marc Short, who led Pence’s debate preparation against Harris in 2020, told the Associated Press. “She has shown that in different environments. I would not underestimate that in any way.”
This is Trump’s seventh televised debate as a presidential candidate. And while it’s Harris’ first as the Democratic nominee, the former California attorney general and U.S. senator has plenty of experience in one-on-one situations against her political rivals.
Julian Castro, a Democratic contender who vied against Harris for the presidential candidacy in the 2020 primary, described Harris as possessing a mix of “knowledge, poise and the ability to articulate well,” factors that helped her distinguish herself during primary debates.
“Some candidates get too caught up with trying to be catchy, trying to go viral,” Castro told AP. “She’s found a very good balance.”
Trump’s relationship with his vice president fell apart in the wake of the January 6, 2021, U.S. Capitol riot after Pence refused to back Trump’s false claims that he lost the 2020 election to Biden due to widespread voter fraud. As Congress and Pence were certifying the results, some rioters constructed a noose and gallows and chanted “hang Mike Pence” as they stormed the U.S. Capitol building.
Pence entered the 2024 presidential race but dropped out in October 2023 after a six-month campaign failed to gain momentum.
“I’m staying out of the presidential race on our side,” Pence told RealClearPolitics on Monday. “But I would never vote for Kamala Harris.”
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Update 9/9/24, 3:50 p.m. ET: This article has been updated with additional information.
Update 9/9/24, 4:01 p.m. ET: This article has been updated with additional information.