By Brendan Scanland
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Tonight, millions of viewers from across the world will tune in for the first presidential debate between former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris.
It will be the first time the candidates meet face-to-face. With Congress back in session in Washington, anticipation for the debate is high this evening on Capitol Hill.
House Republicans expect Trump to attack the Vice President’s record and remind American voters that Harris “owns everything from the current administration.” The Afghanistan withdrawal, the border crisis and high prices, Republicans say, are just a few topics they believe Trump will focus on.
“I’m looking forward to hearing President Trump talk about the policies of his first term, not only the successes that he had, which were significant, but also what he will do differently to make those policies better in his second term,” said Rep. Jack Bergman (R- MI).
Bergman expects Trump to call out Harris on her change in certain policies, like her stance on fracking.
“You can’t say one thing and do another,” said Rep. Jack Bergman (R- MI). “The Harris campaign is hoping that the American people will just blindly follow her down the yellow brick road to what would seemingly be a very bad end if they do,” Bergman added.
Other House Republicans, like Rep. Nick Langworthy (R- NY), believe the choice this November boils down to a simple question, and one that he thinks the former President should emphasize for viewers.
“Are you better off than you were four years ago? And the answer is a resounding ‘No’. The economic angst that I hear in our district is off the charts,” said Langworthy, who represents parts of Western New York and the Southern Tier. “The affordability crisis we face, it’s far beyond just gas and groceries. It’s now to housing, rent, insurance, cost of automobiles.”
Like many of his Republican colleagues, Langworthy warns a Harris administration would be similar to a Biden administration.
“She is not the change candidate, she is running to perpetuate this administration. She is the second Biden term. This is just more of the same,” said Langworthy.
As for Democrats, they’re looking to hear Harris discuss an inclusive agenda, focused on the future.
“Vice President Harris is going to articulate a forward looking, inclusive agenda to make life better for everyday Americans and solve problems for hardworking American taxpayers and create a clear contrast to the chaos, dysfunction and extremism that Donald Trump will visit upon the American people if he ever gets close to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue,” said House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D- NY).
Harris is also expected to hit Trump on reproductive rights, which is a major campaign issue Democrats ran on successfully in the 2022 midterms. Analysts expect Harris to point the finger at Trump for appointing Supreme Court justices that ultimately overturned Roe v. Wade.
During tonight’s debate at 9pm ET on ABC, there will be no audience, no opening statements, microphones will be muted when it’s not a candidate’s turn to speak and they will not be allowed to have notes.
With recent polls between the two candidates neck and neck, tonight’s debate can be extremely consequential for the November election.