Days of preparation and one final warning. How Kamala Harris got ready for her big debate moment
Kamala Harris is trying to turn the presidential debate with Donald Trump into an ongoing source of momentum
WASHINGTON (AP) — It was almost time for the presidential debate, but Kamala Harris’ staff thought there was one more thing she needed to know. So less than an hour before the vice president left her Philadelphia hotel, two communications aides got her on the phone for one of the strangest briefings of her political career.
They told her that Donald Trump had been posting on social media about a false and racist rumor that Haitian migrants in Springfield, Ohio, were eating people’s pets. The former president might mention it during the debate, they said.
The warning, described by two people with knowledge of the conversation, proved spot on.
While answering a question about immigration policy, Trump said migrants in Springfield were “eating the dogs” and “they’re eating the cats.” Harris laughed, shook her head and stared at her Republican opponent in amazement. "Talk about extreme,” she said, and then moved on.
