Trump and Harris campaigns agree to rules for ABC debate
NBCAug 21
Election Model: Harris, Trump in 'Dead Heat' Ahead of Debate
Above: The National Constitution Center, Philadelphia. Image copyright: Gilbert Carrasquillo/Contributor/Getty Images Entertainment via Getty Images
The Facts
The latest Decision Desk HQ/The Hill election model update suggests the presidential race between Vice Pres. Kamala Harris and former Pres. Donald Trump remains a toss-up ahead of their first debate on Sept. 10.
The model predicted on Friday that Harris has a 55% chance of winning the White House in November, compared to 45% for Trump, and put the odds of a 269-269 tie in the Electoral College at 0.5%.
The Spin
Democratic narrative
Kamala Harris has a golden chance to crush Trump at their upcoming face-off and keep her momentum, as long as she avoids falling for his bait and stays focused on her middle-class agenda. There's no doubt that the ABC debate will be key to the presidential race — and Harris holds the best cards.
Republican narrative
Since Donald Trump is famous for his debate skills and people have long decided about him, the pressure will be on Harris on Tuesday. After all, debating a former president may be too challenging for the Democratic candidate, especially as she also has the Biden administration's poor record against her.