Mary Trump, niece and critic of Donald Trump, has debate advice for Kamala Harris

CHICAGO - Niece and critic of former President Donald Trump, Mary Trump, spoke with USA TODAY about Democratic presidential candidate Vice President Kamala Harris ' debate strategy against the Republican frontrunner during an interview at the Democratic convention in Chicago this week.

Mary Trump has been a vocal critic of her uncle since his time in office and is now lending some advice to Harris ahead of the early September debate , including a recommendation that Harris should lean into her background as a prosecutor on the debate stage.

"Honestly, my advice to her would be keep doing what you're doing. I think the setup of the prosecutor versus the criminal is right in her wheelhouse, but she has also proven not to be afraid to mock Donald because he deserves our mockery," said Mary Trump.

"I like the fact that she refers to him as Donald because he doesn't deserve anybody's respect at this point, and she will not let him get away with lying repeatedly," she continued.

Framing the election as a face-off between a prosecutor and a felon has been a prominent strategy used by Harris' campaign after it took off last month following President Joe Biden 's departure from the race. Aside from drawing a contrast between the candidates, Mary Trump also suggested Harris should prioritize calling out false claims made by the former president over laying out her policy proposals.

"I think she [Harris] needs to understand that she's going to have to do the job of fact-checking in real time and should focus more on uncovering Donald Trump's nonsense by refuting his lies and underscoring just how dangerous his vision for America is, and not worry so much about outlining the Democratic party's policy positions," Mary Trump said.

"It will be the first time a lot of the American people actually see what a petty, small, insecure, weak man Donald Trump really is," she added.

Ahead of the September presidential debate, both candidates have already started prepping. While Trump's strategy consists of consultations with advisers and friends, including ex-U.S. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard , Harris is holding mock debates at her alma mater, Howard University .

The debate will take place on Sept. 10 in Philadelphia, hosted by ABC.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Mary Trump, niece and critic of Donald Trump, has debate advice for Kamala Harris