Kamala's skills against Trump under test in first match-up today

FROM her earliest campaigns in California to her serving as President Joe Biden's running mate, Kamala Harris has honed an aggressive but calibrated approach to debates.

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She tries to blend punch lines with details that build toward a broader narrative. She might shake her head to signal her disapproval while her opponent is speaking, counting on viewers to see her reaction on a split screen. And she has a go-to tactic to pivot debates back in her favour: saying she's glad to answer a question as she gathers her thoughts to explain an evolving position or defend a past one.