Why I Have Doubts That Kamala Will Show Up To The Debate

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I’ve always been skeptical that Kamala Harris actually wants to debate Trump, and her recent performance in a softball interview with CNN intensifies that doubt.

The upcoming debate at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia on September 10 could be another transformative moment in this campaign. The last debate ultimately resulted in Joe Biden dropping out of the race, and there were signs during the interview that Kamala isn’t ready to face Trump and that she knows it.

Body language expert Susan Constantine observed that Harris was visibly uncomfortable during the interview, frequently looking down, breaking eye contact, and relying on her running mate, Tim Walz, for support and affirmation. These behaviors, according to Constantine, reveal a lack of confidence and a failure to project the presidential demeanor necessary to command her position. Greg Hartley, a former U.S. Army interrogator, echoed these sentiments, pointing out that Harris often broke eye contact and struggled to deliver clear answers, indicating she was poorly prepared and unsure of herself. (RELATED: Body Language Experts Analyzed Kamala’s CNN Interview. Here’s What They Found.)

If Harris was so uncomfortable and lacking confidence during a softball interview from a friendly network, the prospect of debating Donald Trump, must scare the hell out of her.

In fact, I suspect she might be looking for a way out.

According to Washington Post reporter Josh Dawsey, Harris’s campaign has yet to accept the rules for the debate, which are straightforward and by no means controversial. The debate will be 90 minutes long, with no audience, strict timing rules, and no pre-written notes or props allowed. The major point of contention is that Kamala wants live mics throughout the entire debate.

Now, she’s accusing Trump of playing games.

“Donald Trump is surrendering to his advisors who won't allow him to debate with a live microphone. If his own team doesn't have confidence in him, the American people definitely can’t,” Kamala said in a post on X/Twitter. “We are running for President of the United States. Let’s debate in a transparent way—with the microphones on the whole time.”

The Biden-Harris campaign originally pushed for no live microphones in the first Trump-Biden debate. When Trump later wanted to renegotiate debate dates, hosts, and rules, the Harris campaign insisted he was trying to avoid debating her, claiming he had already agreed to everything.

This is par for the course for Kamala’s campaign. They’ve avoided interviews and press conferences, and now, with the debate looming, they seem to be laying the groundwork for Kamala to back out.

Trump’s spokesperson, Jason Miller, highlighted this pattern, noting that Harris’s team had requested changes to the agreed-upon debate format.

"If Kamala Harris isn’t smart enough to repeat the messaging points her handlers want her to memorize, that’s their problem. This seems to be a pattern for the Harris campaign,” Miller noted last week. “They won’t allow Harris to do interviews, they won’t allow her to do press conferences, and now they want to give her a cheat-sheet for the debate. My guess is that they’re looking for a way to get out of any debate with President Trump. Regardless, there’s no way Harris is ready to be Commander in Chief."

It’s becoming increasingly clear that Kamala Harris doesn’t want to debate Trump. If Kamala was insecure during a softball interview, how confident can she be in her ability to debate Donald Trump?