Kamala Harris’ last Republican rival has some debate advice for Donald Trump

SACRAMENTO, California — As Donald Trump prepares to take the debate stage against Kamala Harris in Philadelphia, one of her former GOP rivals in California has advice for him: Replicate your approach to Joe Biden in June.

Steve Cooley, who ran against Harris for California attorney general in 2010, was the first Republican that Harris faced on a televised debate stage.

Cooley narrowly lost the race to Harris — in part for saying he’d collect an existing state pension and the “very low” six-figure AG salary if he won. Since then he has followed her rise closely and shares Trump’s view that she’s ill-equipped to be president, especially in areas that are top concerns for voters like the economy and immigration.

“It’ll be obvious that she’s inept, but let her show that,” the Los Angeles resident said in an interview ahead of Tuesday night’s debate. “He doesn’t need to say it. Let her show it. It’s kind of like the thing with Biden — he didn’t need to say, ‘Hey, you’re dementia-ridden and you don’t know what’s going on.’”

Trump was unusually reserved during the career-ending debate with Biden, letting the president’s stammers and stumbles speak for themselves. But Trump may have a harder time showing similar restraint with a first-time debate partner whose rapid rise in the polls has scrambled his campaign.

Harris' campaign did not return a request for comment.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

What would you tell Trump as he heads into the debate with Harris?

She’ll be prepared in the sense that she’ll have some set memorized lines, but she is not capable, in my view, of any kind of serious critical thinking.

If she does not have a teleprompter or notes in front of her, she will stumble and fumble and bumble.

What he has to do is not personalize it, just let her demonstrate how inept she is. He doesn’t need to point out the obvious. So rather than be aggressive and point all that out, let the viewer reach their own conclusion about her.

What are her greatest weaknesses when it comes to policy issues?

Obviously, the border is a complete unadulterated disaster of biblical proportions. That is the fault of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris and, more importantly, the people pulling their strings.

She does not know economics at all. She just doesn’t. And Trump, based upon his experience as a business person, is pretty familiar with the terminology and what words mean. And she will be weak in that arena, which is a weak policy issue for them too. The economy’s not in terrific shape, and it was in pretty good shape under Trump.

Afghanistan, and the “I was the last person in the room” thing . Does she really want to take credit for that disaster? It was an ill-planned, poorly executed, disaster. So she wants to say she’s the last person in the room, inviting what happened, and she can take credit for it.

In my experience, she’s as phony as a $3 bill. She’s an actress.

Do you think Harris’ career as a prosecutor will give her a leg up in the debate?

She wasn’t a very good prosecutor. And whether she was a prosecutor in terms of her employment or not, I don’t think she developed the skills to think on her feet. I don’t think she was much of a trial lawyer or much of a trial prosecutor, from what I’ve heard from others who did know her. So I don’t think she has those skills.

Are there any potential pitfalls Trump should try to sidestep?

He does not need to state the obvious. It’ll be obvious that she’s inept, but let her show that. He doesn’t need to say it. Let her show it. It’s kind of like the thing with Biden — he didn’t need to say, “Hey, you’re dementia-ridden and you don’t know what’s going on.”

It was obvious. Just let it happen.

What strengths does Harris have going into the debate?

I don’t see any, because she’s wrong on most of the issues. And the fact that she’s not spoken to the media in any meaningful, substantive way means she will not be kind of prepared for that peppering that the media can dish out — quick questions, incisive questions.

A lot of people running for political office, you make yourself available [to the press]. You get better over time. You anticipate things. You figure out how to answer. You know how to avoid certain answers.

If you don’t, the answer’s going to hurt you. I don’t think she’s going to be well prepared.