Presidential debates are supposed to be Socratic dialogues in which two thoughtful candidates spell out why they have better ideas on how to move the country forward.
But let’s be real. That’s not going to happen this time.
Republican nominee Donald Trump speaks in cumulonimbus clouds of free association, rewriting history and avoiding being pinned down on specific positions. Democratic nominee Kamala Harris is sharper when pressing the case against a rival on stage, but also sometimes leaves her own positions a little vague.
Still, Tuesday’s debate between the two will be roughly 90 minutes in which the moderators can pose tough questions.
So what should they ask? ABC moderators David Muir and Linsey Davis will need to hit some of the big issues on voters’ minds, but how they approach the question can make a big difference in whether it gets a response that viewers might find helpful.
Here are some suggestions for questions each of the candidates should face.
For Trump:
Project 2025 is a conservative proposal for actions you could take in a second term, written by many of your former aides. You have distanced yourself from it, but you did say that it had some ideas that “everybody would like.” Can you name some of those ideas?
Trump does not want to be associated with Project 2025 and trying to pin him down on his relationship with it would go nowhere, especially with the tightly controlled debate format. A follow-up question would be to note that he has also called some of the ideas “absolutely ridiculous” and “abysmal” and ask which ones fit that bill.
When does life begin?
Trump has been all over the issue of abortion, appearing to endorse a Florida referendum that would expand abortion access and then walking it back, claiming that “everyone” wanted Roe v. Wade overturned. Sticking with a basic question about first principles would be more illuminating than trying to pin him down on the specifics of a particular proposal.
What is a mistake that you made during your first term and how would you handle it differently?
For anyone else, this would be a softball question, but Trump hates to admit mistakes, rarely even acknowledges them to himself and, when pressed, tends to start attacking and blaming other people for giving him bad advice. This question could elicit a very interesting response, even if on paper it’s not a hard question.
For Harris:
As Joe Biden’s vice president, you were present for many of the decisions he made over the last four years. Can you name an example of a time when you disagreed with his decision? How would you have handled it differently if you had been president?
Harris has managed to have it both ways, bragging about her role in popular Biden policies while also benefiting from being seen as a fresh start on tougher issues like inflation. Asking her to spell out a difference would also help clarify how she would approach the job.
Even in a best-case scenario for Democrats, you would have a narrow majority in the Senate to pass your agenda. Would you support repealing the filibuster in order to pass laws by a simple majority?
The conversation about ending or even just temporarily lifting the filibuster is happening behind the scenes in Washington, and there are indications that Harris, a former senator, supports it. This may not be top of mind for many voters, but it will have a huge effect on the legislative agenda for a possible Harris administration and deserves a public discussion.
As a local prosecutor, you vowed never to seek the death penalty. But as California attorney general, you changed positions, successfully defending it in court. Why did you change your position? And what is your current position on the death penalty?
Like many long-serving politicians, Harris has switched on several issues, including marijuana legalization and fracking, both of which she now supports. It would be interesting to press her on why she changed her mind on any of these issues, but she’s already been asked about fracking in a recent TV interview and there’s potential for a contrast here with Trump, who wholeheartedly endorses the death penalty.
For both candidates:
Name an issue where you think your opponent has the right idea.
Moderators often like to end the debate by forcing the two candidates to say something positive. (At a 2016 debate, a voter asked Trump and Hillary Clinton to say something nice about each other.) An interesting twist would be to ask them to highlight an area of agreement. Again, this is mostly a softball but it would be a chance to see what they choose to highlight.
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