Governor Pritzker Warns Vice President Harris Against Underestimating Trump in Debate

Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker cautions Vice President Kamala Harris not to underestimate former President Donald Trump's debate skills ahead of their scheduled debate on September 10th.

Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker has advised Vice President Kamala Harris to proceed with caution in her upcoming debate against former President Donald Trump, scheduled for September 10th. Pritzker emphasized that Trump's past debate performances should not be taken lightly.

"I don't think anybody should underestimate Donald Trump," Pritzker stated in an interview with CNN's Sara Sidner. "He has 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."

Governor Pritzker Warns Vice President Harris Against Underestimating Trump in Debate

Pritzker recalled Trump's debate victories against Hillary Clinton in 2016 and his more recent triumph over President Biden. "We saw that he won the debate against Hillary Clinton when he ran the first time," Pritzker said. "He's not to be underestimated."

While Pritzker acknowledged Harris's impressive communication skills and capabilities, he cautioned against overestimating her advantage in the debate. "We shouldn't be thinking that somehow Kamala Harris has a greater ability to win a debate than Donald Trump," Pritzker said. "They're going to come in as significant rivals with very, very different points of view."

Governor Pritzker Warns Vice President Harris Against Underestimating Trump in Debate

The debate is set to feature a clash between two distinct ideologies, Pritzker noted. "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," he said.

The Harris campaign has been seeking modifications to the debate rules, particularly regarding the use of microphones. The campaign initially agreed to mute microphones during the opponent's speaking time but later reversed its stance. The Trump campaign has not responded to these proposed changes.

Governor Pritzker Warns Vice President Harris Against Underestimating Trump in Debate

Harris's team maintains that both candidates desire the use of live microphones, while the Trump campaign's opposition to the change remains unclear. "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," Harris spokesperson Brian Fallon wrote in a post on Thursday.

The campaigns have yet to provide comment on the matter. Pritzker's interview underscores the significance of the upcoming debate and the importance of Harris not underestimating Trump's abilities in the face of their contrasting political views and communication styles.