Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker cautioned Vice President Kamala Harris to approach a debate with former President Donald Trump with utmost seriousness, recognizing his formidable debate skills and past victories.
Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker has sounded the alarm, urging Vice President Kamala Harris to exercise extreme caution as she prepares to face former President Donald Trump in a debate on September 10th. Governor Pritzker emphasized that Trump possesses extraordinary debate prowess and cautioned against underestimating his abilities.
"I don't think anybody should underestimate Donald Trump," Governor Pritzker stated in an interview with CNN's Sara Sidner. "He has a won a couple of debates that he did. Certainly, people would say that he won the debate against President Biden a couple of months ago."
Illinois Governor Pritzker Warns Harris Not to Underestimate Trump in Debate
Governor Pritzker recalled Trump's past debate victories, highlighting his triumphs against Hillary Clinton in 2016 and against President Biden in 2020. He stressed that Trump's ability to command the debate stage should not be taken lightly.
"We saw that he won the debate against Hillary Clinton when he ran the first time," Governor Pritzker said. "He's not to be underestimated."
Illinois Governor Pritzker Warns Harris Not to Underestimate Trump in Debate
While acknowledging Vice President Harris's impressive qualifications, Governor Pritzker emphasized that her exceptional qualities may not suffice to secure a debate victory over Trump.
"We shouldn't be thinking that somehow Kamala Harris has a greater ability to win a debate than Donald Trump," Governor Pritzker said. "They're going to come in as significant rivals with very, very different points of view."
Illinois Governor Pritzker Warns Harris Not to Underestimate Trump in Debate
Governor Pritzker underscored the importance of Harris presenting her views effectively and avoiding distractions from Trump's tactics.
"I think getting those points of view across and making sure you're not getting flummoxed, frankly, by Donald Trump, will be an important thing for Kamala Harris," the governor added.
In addition, Governor Pritzker commented on the ongoing debate surrounding microphone rules for the upcoming event. Harris's team has advocated for live microphones, deviating from the previously agreed-upon practice of muting microphones during the opposing candidate's speaking time.
"The memo sent by ABC is a draft set of rules that both campaigns need to sign off on and indicate agreement. We have not done so because we think both candidates have expressed a clear desire to have hot mics. Not clear why Trump staff is overruling their principal, who should be capable of making up his own mind," Harris spokesperson Brian Fallon wrote in a post on Thursday.
Both the Harris and Trump campaigns have not yet responded to requests for comment from news outlets. Fox News correspondent Taylor Penley assisted in this report.
