Chris Christie predicted that what Kamala Harris does in Tuesday’s debate will be “significantly more important” than what Donald Trump does with his “wing it” approach.
“You’ve seen this show before. She’s the one that’s going to get the most attention,” said the former New Jersey governor in an appearance on ABC News’ “This Week.”
Christie, who helped Trump prepare for debates in 2016 and 2020 before becoming a frequent critic, said he’d write “two words only” on a notepad for Harris as she walked out to face the former president.
“Charm and disarm,” he told host Jonathan Karl. “That’s it.”
Christie said the vice president needs to look into the camera and “charm” Americans by showing that she’s not going to be the “24-hour-a-day leaf blower noise” that is Trump.
“She’s got to go and show them there’s another way to lead. There is a way that you can be kind, that you can be smart and tough at the same time. That’s the charm,” he said.
Christie advised that the vice president shouldn’t engage with Trump’s attacks.
He pointed to her recent interview with CNN’s Dana Bash where she was asked about the GOP nominee’s “turned Black” remarks.
“And she did what’s hard for candidates to do. She paused for two or three seconds, shook her head, and she said, ‘Same old playbook, next question,’” Christie explained.
He continued, “That’s what will get under his skin. If she refuses to engage him in that back and forth, which Hillary [Clinton] failed at miserably because she wasn’t good at it and she engaged, don’t engage with him on that. That increases his stature. You want to decrease his stature by being dismissive of him.”
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