AUSTIN, Texas – MSNBC anchor and former Biden White House press secretary Only Psaki believes Vice President Kamala Harris should shake former President Trump’s hand when they take the stage to debate Tuesday.
During a question-and-answer session at the Texas Tribune Festival on Friday, Psaki was asked if a handshake would take place before Tuesday’s ABC presidential debate, which will mark the first time Harris and Trump meet in person.
“I think so,” Psaki said.
“Or if it’s her, you make an effort,” Psaki continued. “That’s what’s really hard… it’s much better to yell at someone and say, ‘What are you talking about?’”
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Psaki said viewers don’t want to see hostility and suggested Harris take the right path and focus on winning the debate.
“The balance for her is how do you respond when he spouts lies, which will happen. What if he attacks you in a racist, sexist, or scary way? Which certainly can happen,” Psaki said, noting that the Harris-Walz campaign has responded to Trump “effectively” from a distance.
“But it’s different doing it in person,” Psaki said.
“This is probably one of the largest audiences you’re going to have before the November election. Not everyone watching this debate is a progressive Democrat,” she continued. “And you have to attract a large audience of people who may be undecided, who may have never voted for a Democrat before, who may have never voted before.”
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In June, Biden campaign co-chair Cedric Richmond said he would not shake Trump’s hand before the CNN debate that highlighted Biden’s fitness for another term. Richmond suggested at the time that Biden “consistently rises above pettiness” and might not follow his advice, but no handshake occurred.
The pre-debate handshake was a long-standing tradition that has faded in recent years, with Trump and Hillary Clinton refusing to shake hands in 2016 at the start of their second and third presidential debates. In 2020, Biden and Trump did not shake hands amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Harris and Trump will have a chance to restore tradition Tuesday night in Philadelphia.
Source of the original article: MSNBC’s Jen Psaki Says Harris Should ‘Make an Effort’ to Shake Trump’s Hand Before Presidential Debate
