STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:
First, we review the Democratic convention. Speakers promoted Vice President Harris and critiqued former President Trump.
LEILA FADEL, HOST:
Gretchen Whitmer, one of the swing state governors onstage, said Trump once referred to her as that woman from Michigan. She then asked voters to consider who might be in charge in a future crisis.
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GRETCHEN WHITMER: What if it's him? What if it's that man from Mar-a-Lago?
INSKEEP: Vice President Harris delivered a relentless attack, often marching up to the edge of the facts. She predicted Trump and his allies would enact abortion restrictions even beyond those that Trump specifically has endorsed. She said Trump favored what was effectively a national sales tax, meaning an increase in tariffs on imports. At the same time, Harris looked at the camera and said she knew that people of many political beliefs were watching.
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VICE PRESIDENT KAMALA HARRIS: And I want you to know I promise to be a president for all Americans.
(CHEERING)
HARRIS: You can always trust me to put country above party and self.
FADEL: Her line recalled a moment at the Republican convention when Donald Trump also gestured to the other side.
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DONALD TRUMP: I am running to be president for all of America, not half of America. Because there is no victory in winning for half of America.
(CHEERING)
FADEL: That was Trump in July. But what comes now is a fierce competition for votes.
INSKEEP: OK, so now both candidates have given their speeches. And we're going to discuss them with Tricia McLaughlin, a Republican strategist who once worked for presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, and also Katrina Gamble, founder and CEO of Sojourn Strategies, a progressive consulting firm. Good morning to you both.
KATRINA GAMBLE: Good morning.
TRICIA MCLAUGHLIN: Good morning.
INSKEEP: So as I was watching Harris, I was listening to the exact words, of course, but also watching an overall impression. Any presidential candidate, and maybe especially a woman trying to break this barrier, is sending verbal as well as nonverbal cues to say, I'm ready for this job - I'm right for this job - trying to sell themselves as a president. Tricia, let's start with you. How did she do?
MCLAUGHLIN: You know, it was a short speech. But I think that ultimately, her speech reflected what the rest of the convention was, which was really platitudes over policy. We heard a lot about joy. We were kind of force-fed that this was a 2008 kind of moment. But we weren't really told, how is Kamala Harris and Tim Walz going to make life better for the American people?
Americans are still facing 20% higher prices than when Biden-Harris took office. Electricity is up 31%. Rent's up 22%. We're facing major wars on the Ukraine front, as well as in the Middle East. And she hasn't quite answered that question. I think that something that's also still lingering for folks is the immigration crisis. We just heard a report that around 32,000 migrant children are missing in this country. So I think Americans are still really hungry for that substance. And I think we're still yet to hear that from Kamala Harris.
INSKEEP: It is interesting that Harris herself, who's been blamed for her record on the border, asserted that she can secure the border and that she has a different record than has been described. Katrina Gamble, what did you think?
GAMBLE: I thought that she had a big job in front of her. Obviously, it was an incredible speech. I was in the room. The energy was through the roof. And I think that she did an incredible job. I think she nailed it. She made a clear case, making a contrast for a future that's focused on the middle class, compared to Trump and the Republicans, who are taking us back, removing rights and making it harder for people to take care of their families and their children. And she told the American people a story about who she is and why she is a great patriot. And I thought that she did an incredible job.
INSKEEP: Let me ask a challenging question to each of you. And Katrina Gamble, I will start with you and put on the table the thing that Tricia McLaughlin raised there. Kamala Harris gave a speech that clearly excited people in the room. She worked the camera at times and spoke to people at home. But I don't know that she gave specific answers to the concerns that Americans have raised in polling about the economy, about inflation, about prices and so forth.
GAMBLE: I believe that she actually did do that. She said very clearly that she is focused on building an opportunity economy. She is going to tackle affordable housing. Look, I was in Georgia talking to Black rural voters on Monday before I came to the convention. And one of the top things that they mentioned was housing and infrastructure. And she spoke very clearly to that, saying that she wants to create 3 million new housing units.
She has talked about expanding the child tax credit, building on the 2021 child tax credit that her and President Biden - that reduced poverty by 50%, and increasing that to $6,000 a year for families with newborns. So I think she actually laid out some very clear policies that go at the heart of what people are thinking about and what they're worried about - how can they take care of their families and how can they move forward.
INSKEEP: And let's put a challenging question to Tricia McLaughlin, the Republican strategist. Vice President Harris, when she said - we heard it a little bit earlier - you can always trust me to put country above party and self. A clear shot at former President Trump, although she doesn't mention him there. Isn't this a serious vulnerability the former president has? He is all about himself.
MCLAUGHLIN: Well, I think that could be said probably of any politician is that they often put ego first. I think Donald Trump needs to lay off the personal attacks. I think this week he's improved. He's got to focus on policy, policy, policy, policy. Because when we look at the issues, when we look at the polling of the issues even - whether it be cost of living, the economy, businesses, immigration - every time, Donald Trump wins by double digits. It's when we get kind of into the vibes and virality is where Kamala Harris really gets some energy and some momentum. So that's what I would encourage any Republican to do is stick to the issues. How are you going to actually help Americans?
INSKEEP: How much do Republicans have to worry now about a 78-year-old former president against a much younger candidate?
GAMBLE: Donald Trump doesn't really feel like he's 78 years old. But I do think what will be interesting to see today, Steve, is this RFK speech. Does he endorse Donald Trump? That's what I'm looking out for today.
INSKEEP: Oh, you know what? Katrina Gamble, I'm going to give you 10 seconds to talk about that. If Robert F. Kennedy Jr. gets out of the race, if he endorses Trump, does that hurt Harris?
GAMBLE: I think that we don't know where all of those votes are going to go. And I think that Vice President Harris is building off of incredible momentum and enthusiasm. And I think that her campaign will continue to engage key critical voters like young voters, like young women voters who are caring about - care about their reproductive freedom.
INSKEEP: OK.
GAMBLE: And so we'll see what happens.
INSKEEP: Katrina Gamble and Tricia McLaughlin. Thanks to you both.
MCLAUGHLIN: Thank you.
GAMBLE: Thank you.
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