Kamala Harris is preparing for her all-or-nothing debate against presidential rival Donald Trump on Tuesday by practising against an aide wearing an orange wig, The Mail on Sunday can reveal.
The US vice president has spent the entire week in intense preparations for the 90-minute debate in Philadelphia, which many believe will decide the outcome of the presidential election in November.
Ms. Harris has been hosting twice-daily mock debates in a room full of advisers, with her close aide Philippe Reines playing the role of Mr. Trump, complete with orange wig and three-inch platforms on his shoes to give him the same towering height as the 6-foot-3 former president.
An informed source told the Mail on Sunday: “Kamala knows this is her defining moment. You only have to look at the first debate and what happened to Joe Biden to know how much is at stake.”
“She’s a smart woman, a former prosecutor, so preparation is everything to her.”
Kamala Harris (pictured in March) will face Trump on Tuesday, September 10
Massachusetts delegate Jimmy Davidson wears a Donald Trump-style wig at the 2016 Republican National Convention
President Biden was forced to drop out of the presidential race after a disastrous appearance against Trump in a June debate that exposed him as old and vacillating and led supporters like George Clooney to demand he step aside in favor of Harris.
Trump’s replacement, Mr Reines, is a former senior adviser to Hillary Clinton and is considered “one of the smartest Democrats around”.
The source said: ‘Democrats used to follow Michelle Obama’s mantra of ‘When they go low, we go high’, but now the gloves are off. Kamala is preparing to bait the bear.
‘Attention has focused on how to goad Trump into losing his temper on live television in front of millions of people.
“Philippe is a brilliant strategist. It may sound funny to say that he wears a wig and high-top sneakers, but the important thing is that Kamala is 100 percent prepared.
‘The candidates will be standing at podiums. Philippe wants her to know exactly how big Trump will look.
‘Trump is obsessed with people making fun of him for his small hands, so be prepared for a joke about that.
‘Kamala will attack him for all the crazy things he’s said, like talking about ‘the great, late Hannibal Lecter.’
“She’s unlikely to call him President Trump, though that’s a courtesy given to all former presidents. The team is working on witty comments about Trump being a convicted felon and how she, as a lawyer, put men like him in prison.”
Incredibly, Harris and Trump, who are tied in the polls, have never met or spoken and have been in the same room only once before, for his State of the Union address in 2018.
“We’re heading into the unknown,” the source said. “They’re both trying to get a message out there that will go around the world.”
Harris is likely to mention last year’s civil trial in which Trump was found liable for sexually assaulting writer E. Jean Carroll, who accused him of raping her in a department store fitting room.
The former president’s press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, confirmed that the former president has not received any debate training.
“Trump is obsessed with people making fun of him for his small hands, so be prepared for a joke about that,” a source told the Mail on Sunday (Trump pictured on September 6 in New York City)
Trump, pictured debating Joe Biden earlier this year, is said to be brushing up on his past record during “political sessions.”
‘President Trump has proven himself to be one of the greatest debaters in political history, as evidenced by his knockout of Joe Biden.
‘He has a command of his subjects, gives frequent interviews and answers questions from hostile media almost every day.’
In 2016, Trump memorably stalked Hillary Clinton on a debate stage, looming over her as she answered questions in a way she said “made my hair stand on end.”
A source at ABC, which is hosting Tuesday’s debate, said: “Most people believe whoever wins will be the next president. The pressure is on Harris to perform better than expected.”
“It will depend on temperament. Can he remain calm and can she be presidential?”
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