Former President Donald Trump's "magic" in debates lies in his unpredictability, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee told Newsmax on Monday.
"When he walks on the debate stage, he's going to be loose and ready," Huckabee said on "Wake Up America." "One of the things about him, every time I've ever watched him in a debate, including the ones I've been on stage with him in a debate, you never know exactly what he's going to do, which is part of his magic. He understands just how to capture the moment."
Huckabee said the key for Trump in Tuesday's debate against Vice President Kamala Harris is to "let her talk."
"Don't attack her," he said. "He doesn't need to attack the record of the Biden-Harris administration. And he's got a great record to talk about for his four years as president and the economic differences."
The presidential candidates' debate in Philadelphia is likely to be "the turning point" of the 2024 race for the White House, Huckabee said.
"Let's face it: Kamala Harris is not good on her feet," he said. "It's just not something she's great with, extemporaneous conversation. If she's very prepared and has memorized her lines, she might be OK for a couple of things. But Trump has a great opportunity just to let her talk because that's her undoing. And if he does with her what he did with [President] Joe Biden back in June, it really could be game, set, match. And that's kind of what I'm expecting."
Harris, who has been "holed up in Pittsburgh" preparing for the upcoming debate, is expected to have "well-rehearsed lines" that she will have gone over countless times with her advisers, Huckabee said. Trump, meanwhile, has been appearing at rallies and connecting with supporters, the former governor added.
"He's smart enough to realize that he doesn't need to respond to her attacks, and there will be plenty of them, but he does need to just ask her lots of questions," Huckabee said. "Ask her, How come your border security plan — you were the border czar — why was it such a mess? How come we have such inflation?
"How come you and your administration, with Joe Biden, let the gas off of Iran and gave them money? And as a result, now we've got Hamas, we've got Hezbollah, we've got a mess in the world. Wouldn't happen if you'd have kept the sanctions, but you let them go."
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Nicole Wells ✉
Nicole Wells, a Newsmax general assignment reporter covers news, politics, and culture. She is a National Newspaper Association award-winning journalist.
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