Kamala Harris needs to 'jiu-jitsu' Donald Trump at debate: Dem strategist

A Democratic strategist pushed back against those who've opined that Vice President Kamala Harris would be better served at the upcoming debate if she deployed a 2020 tactic she used against then Vice President Mike Pence, at the time telling Pence "I'm speaking" when he interrupted her.

Erin Burnett spoke with Democrat David Axelrod and GOP strategist Stuart Stevens on CNN's "OutFront" and asked if Harris' 2020 strategy with Pence would "play well" if she deployed the same against former President Donald Trump next week.

"I wouldn't necessarily advise that strategy," said Axelrod. "You know it's interesting, there's been this big debate within the debate over whether the microphones will be muted when your time is up."

He noted that the Harris campaign wants them unmuted — breaking from President Joe Biden's earlier this year — while the Trump campaign wants them muted.

"I think that's a recognition on the part of his team that it doesn't necessarily help him when he's hectoring his opponent," said Axelrod. "We saw that in 2020 in that first horrendous debate for him when he tried to talk over Joe Biden the entire debate."

Axelrod said the "best" strategy for Harris: "Jiu-jitsu" Trump.

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"Use his negative energy against him," said Axelrod. "I think a majority of Americans don't want to vote for Donald Trump. He's not particularly popular. A lot of it has to do with his behavior. I would let him act out. And I would just talk to the country. And I'd have some humorous jabs ready to go, some asides ready to go, but I'd primarily talk to the country, who wants to hear about Kamala Harris and where she leads. Because they're looking at an alternative to Donald Trump."

Watch the clip below or at this link.