'The stakes cannot be higher:' Harris-Trump to face off on debate stage

Kamala Harris and Donald Trump will be face-to-face for the first time during Tuesday night's debate in Philadelphia, marking a pivotal moment during the final sprint of a razor-thin race for the White House. 

"We have said over and over again the stakes cannot be higher," said Allison Prasch, an expert on U.S. presidential rhetoric at the University of Wisconsin.

When I’m president, I will take on corporate landlords that unfairly raise rents on working families.

— Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) September 10, 2024

A Pew Research Center survey released on Monday suggests the presidential race is deadlocked. It found about half of registered voters — 49 per cent — said they would vote for Harris if the election were held today, and an identical share said they would back Trump.

The report, based on a survey conducted from Aug. 26 to Sept. 2, found Trump's advantage is on the economy, with the majority of voters saying they are very or somewhat confident the former president would make good decisions about economic policy. 

Harris leads on abortion and several personal traits, including being a good role model and being honest.

Building up the middle class will be a defining goal of my presidency.

This is personal to me. The middle class is where I come from.

My mother kept a strict budget. We lived within our means, yet we wanted for little. And she expected us to make the most of the opportunities… pic.twitter.com/QvKZ6lC1So

— Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) September 10, 2024

Those issues will likely be highlighted during the debate as both candidates make a case for their starkly different visions for the future of America.

Experts say Harris's challenge will be laying out her policies, including on the economy, while also holding back Trump's attacks. Trump's test will be whether he can stay on message and avoid coming off as racist or misogynistic.

Trump's team was preparing the stage Tuesday morning by releasing a new video tying the vice-president's record to decisions by President Joe Biden's administration. 

"Kamala Harris has been in the White House for an unimaginable American decline. Basic goods cost more, illegal migrant crime ravages our communities, and we have lost our role as the global leader whose strength brings peace," Brian Hughes, Trump campaign senior adviser, said in a news release. 

Harris's camp, on the other hand, was arguing there's a risk to democracy if there is a second Trump administration. Instead of holing up with advisers to prepare for the debate, Trump spent the weekend making claims about voter fraud and alleging he would prosecute anyone who "cheats" in the election.

"The Trump-Vance ticket is spending the days before the debate ratcheting up their dangerous lies, the same lies that inspired a mob to attack the Capitol and try to overturn the 2020 election," said Harris-Walz spokesperson Ammar Moussa in a news release.