As the race for the White House intensifies, reports are emerging that former US President Donald Trump has roped in former Democratic congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard to help him prepare for the debate against Vice President Kamala Harris. According to The New York Times, Trump and Gabbard held a recent practice session at his private club and home, Mar-a-Lago.
Gabbard, who had a solid history of going head to head against Kamala during the 2019 Democratic primaries, is brought in to help “sharpen” Trump’s attack against the Democratic presidential nominee. Gabbard left the Democratic Party after her run to bag the party’s nomination ended.
Since then, she has rebranded herself as a celebrity among Trump’s base of support. She has long been friendly with Trump and was briefly considered to be his running mate in the past.
Why Gabbard is coaching Trump?
While Gabbard is known to have close ties with Trump, she was chosen for the job because of her performance in the 2019 Democratic presidential primary debate. One of the most pivotal moments of Gabbard’s bid for the Democratic ticket was when she eviscerated her erstwhile rival Harris in a memorable onstage encounter.
Trump’s campaign spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt confirmed the news in an email to The New York Times. “The former president has proven to be one of the best debaters in political history as evidenced by his knockout blow to Joe Biden. He does not need traditional debate prep but will continue to meet with respected policy advisers and effective communicators like Tulsi Gabbard, who successfully dominated Kamala Harris on the debate stage in 2020,” she wrote in the mail.
This is the second time Trump will be debating a woman to get a hold of the Oval Office. The last time he debated a woman, the presidential candidate was in 2016 when he went against former First Lady Hillary Clinton. Hence, Gabbard can help Trump to deal with a woman opponent on stage.
Back in the 2019 primary debate, Gabbard claimed Harris, when she was a district attorney in San Francisco, “put over 1,500 people in jail for marijuana violations and then laughed about it when she was asked if she ever smoked marijuana.”
She went on to accuse Harris of having “obstructed evidence” that could have helped an innocent man get out of a death row, and providing the evidence only when a court “forced her to.” At that time, Harris responded to the attacks by saying that she was “proud of making a decision to not just give fancy speeches, or be in a legislative body and give speeches on the floor, but actually doing the work.”
After the debate, Harris went on to mock Gabbard for her poor performance in the polls. However, the VP dropped out of the presidential race in December 2019, months before Gabbard quit the race later in March 2020.
Trump’s Strategy For Debate Prep
What’s Next?
The upcoming debate between Trump and Harris is expected to be a heated affair, with both candidates vying for the attention of voters. With Gabbard's help, Trump will be looking to build on his previous success in debates, while Harris will be hoping to make a strong impression on voters. Only time will tell who will come out on top in this crucial clash.
