James Carville Offers Kamala Harris Three Things She ‘Must’ Do To Beat Trump and Become the ‘Certified Fresh Candidate’

Democratic strategist James Carville outlined three things Vice President Kamala Harris “must do” to defeat former President Donald Trump in November.

In an op-ed for The New York Times published on Tuesday, Carville called Trump the “singular most recognized name in the United States,” something he argued could work in Harris’s favor because “people know exactly what Mr. Trump’s schtick is.”

Carville argued this presidential election is a “change election,” meaning with no popular incumbent president on the ballot, it would typically mean a switch of parties in the White House, but with a sitting vice president running against a former president, things get complicated. Harris has to prove she is the “certified change candidate,” Carville wrote.

The former Bill Clinton advisor told Harris to “help Mr. Trump hurt himself” when they debate, meaning let him talk over her and push him into conspiracy theory talk.

He wrote:

In the Sept. 10 debate, Ms. Harris must enable exactly what his campaign is scared to death of: letting Trump be Trump. She should let him talk over her. Not just let him but goad him into spouting insane conspiracy theories about the previous election. She should use her sense of humor at key moments to get under his skin and show he’s not getting to her. And she should welcome the personal attacks as a badge of honor.

Carville also recommended Harris break more from President Joe Biden on policy points despite serving as second in his administration.

“To be the certified fresh candidate, Ms. Harris must clearly and decisively break from Mr. Biden on a set of policy priorities she believes would define her presidency,” Carville wrote.

He did not recommend specific points to break away from Biden but said Harris should lay out broad progressive policy positions in a press conference amid criticism that she avoids the media.

On policy, Carville told Harris to embrace being a “growth-mindset” candidate by embracing policy positions she’s changed over the years, like reversing her past support of banning fracking.

“It’s vital that she give the same answer every time to these attacks. The retort can be simple: I learned from my time governing in the White House. These are my positions. Take it or leave it,” Carville wrote. “The good news is, by doing just this, Ms. Harris would be demonstrating a capacity that Mr. Trump lacks: a growth mind-set.”

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