As Democrats talk about Tuesday night's presidential debate, one tactic used by Kamala Harris keeps coming up: how she successfully seduced former President Trump, time and time again.
About his rallies. About his criminal trial. About world leaders calling him a “disgrace.”
Trump repeatedly fell into Harris' traps, going off-message and off-topic.
Instead of wasting time attacking Harris over inflation or her own shifting positions, Trump spent his time defending the size of his rallies and the enthusiasm of his fans. He often sounded frustrated and angry, at one point blasting unfounded reports that immigrants were eating dogs and cats.
“The field is fertile and Harris is totally on board with it,” said Jamal Simmons, a Democratic strategist who served as Harris' communications director until last year. “It's like someone is throwing a toy at a cat.”
“If you keep making those claims, he'll get so consumed with it that it'll eat up his day. And then you end up not having enough days.”
Ms Harris' supporters say they expect her to continue using the tactic even if there is no second debate between the candidates – Trump said Thursday there will be no second debate with Ms Harris.
On Wednesday, Harris' campaign posted the entire debate on Twitter, in what appeared to be a provocation, inviting the former president into a fight that Harris wants to take on.
The Democratic National Committee plans to run an ad featuring Harris' comments about the size of rallies when she takes on Trump. The ad will air on mobile billboards set up as Trump campaigns in Arizona on Thursday.
The ad follows another new one from Harris' campaign, which features comments made by former President Barack Obama at the Democratic National Convention mocking Trump's obsession with crowd size, with Obama making hand gestures about Trump's masculinity.
Ahead of the event, Harris' campaign placed signs throughout Philadelphia, where the showdown will take place, taunting Trump.
“When you want a quick coffee, WAWA,” one sign read, referring to the Pennsylvania-based chain. “When no one shows up to your rally, WAAA WAAA,” it continued, alongside an animated photo of Trump.
Harris' campaign has told reporters that they will become more aggressive in the coming weeks, and sources close to the campaign say they are expected to seize the opportunity to lure Trump if they get the chance, which they say underscores the larger message they are trying to send about the opposing visions of the two candidates.
The Trump campaign argues that Ms Harris is showing desperation, and that their candidate will win in November because voters see her, rather than Mr Trump, as the more ideologically extreme candidate.
The Trump campaign is also confident that voters will decide they would rather entrust economic policy to a Republican presidential candidate rather than Harris: A Pew Research Center survey ahead of the debate found that 55% of voters are very or somewhat confident that Trump will make good decisions on economic policy, while 45% say the same about Harris.
“The Harris campaign is deploying desperate tactics, and with polls of undecided voters who watched the debate finding that President Trump is the only one with an actual plan to control inflation and secure the southern border, we know we have a candidate who is likely to lose,” Trump campaign spokeswoman Caroline Leavitt said. “Kamala's silly sign does nothing to rewrite the terrible past 43 months as vice president.”
The former president has claimed he won the first debate, and he and other Republicans slammed the ABC debate moderators for failing to ask Harris both tougher and more detailed questions.
But Democrats believe Harris won the debate and is making her case against Trump in a way that past opponents have not been able to.
The party has long coveted a candidate who could ridicule the former president and his bombastic statements and rhetoric.
“What a welcome change this is,” said Tracy Seful, a longtime Democratic consultant. “It's time to respond to his outrageous behavior and lies in the direct and pointed way that she did. [at the debate] His reaction shots were mesmerizing.”
Ms Harris repeatedly was asked a question about a single subject, and instead of giving a comprehensive answer, she would make a point about Mr Trump, often steering him off into a different conversation in the process.
For example, after being asked about Biden's immigration record — a topic that could highlight Trump's strengths — Harris quickly shifted the topic to Trump's rallies.
“I encourage you to go to a Donald Trump rally, because it's so entertaining to watch,” Harris told viewers, looking directly into the camera. “You'll find him talking about fictional characters like Hannibal Lecter. [how] “Windmills cause cancer. And he's also finding that people are starting to leave his meetings earlier out of fatigue and boredom.”
Susan Del Percio, a longtime Republican strategist who has not endorsed Trump, said the strategy puts Harris in an advantageous position.
“He's a classic bully. One punch to the nose freaks him out,” Del Percio said. “You could see his face during the debates and he was furious. He can't take criticism. He was totally confused by the debate. And now she has a free life in his head.”
Del Percio said what also works for Harris is that she doesn't try to do too much or go too far.
“She's not trying to take his life like Trump is trying to do, she's just having a little fun at his expense,” she added. “This is what America, at least half of America, has been waiting for.”
