Harris, Trump set to face off in high-stakes debate as both continue campaigning in NC

RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) -- Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump will meet face-to-face Tuesday night for the highly anticipated debate. It's a high-pressure opportunity to showcase their vastly different visions for the country, including the impacts on North Carolina.

It comes as both continue campaigning in the Tar Heel state

On Monday, Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff and Gwen Walz, the wife of VP candidate Tim Walz, stopped in Raleigh as part of the 'Fighting for Reproductive Freedom' bus tour.

The VP herself is expected back in the battleground state Thursday.

The former President was in Charlotte Friday to speak at a Fraternal Order of Police meeting. He received an endorsement from the group, the largest organization representing law enforcement nationwide.

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After President Joe Biden dropped out of the race, Trump, 78, has struggled to adapt to Harris, 59, the first woman, Black person and person of South Asian descent to serve as vice president. The former president has sometimes resorted to invoking racial and gender stereotypes, frustrating allies who want Trump to focus on policy differences.



The vice president is expected to claim a share of credit for the Biden administration's accomplishments while talking about its low moments and her shifts away from farther left positions.

Political experts told ABC11 that Trump has to stay laser-focused, and Harris must avoid traps set by the former President.



Dr. Jarvis Hall, a political science professor at North Carolina Central University, said: "(Trump) has a tendency to be very aggressive. He has a tendency to become very personal. And what Vice President Harris has to do is to show that she is presidential material."

The debate is happening at the National Constitution Center. Stay tuned as ABC11 brings you live updates.

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Associated Press writers Michelle L Price, Zeke Miller, Thomas Beaumont in Las Vegas, Bill Barrow in Atlanta and Josh Boak in Pittsburgh contributed to this report. AP Polling Editor Amelia Thomson-DeVeaux in Washington also contributed to this report.