Jen Psaki of MSNBC advises Harris to make an effort to shake Trump's hand before the presidential debate.
The traditional handshake during presidential debates has become less common in recent years.
Jen Psaki, MSNBC host and former Biden White House press secretary, believes Vice President Kamala Harris should greet former President Trump with a handshake when they face off in the upcoming debate.
During a Q&A session at the Texas Tribune Festival on Friday, Psaki was questioned about whether there would be a handshake before the ABC Presidential Debate on Tuesday, which will be the first time Harris and Trump have ever met in person.
"I think, yes," Psaki said.
"If you're her, you make an effort," Psaki continued. "The thing that's very difficult is that it feels much better to scream at someone and be like, 'What the F are you talking about?'"
Psaki advised Harris to prioritize civility and cooperation in the upcoming debate, emphasizing that viewers prefer a peaceful and productive discussion.
Psaki stated that the balance for her is how to push back against Trump's lie-filled rants, which can happen, especially when he attacks in a racist, sexist, or creepy manner. She noted that the Harris-Walz campaign has effectively pushed back on Trump from a distance.
Psaki stated that it's different from performing them in person.
"The upcoming November election is likely to attract a large audience. However, the speaker emphasized that the audience is not made up of progressive Democrats. Instead, the speaker advised the need to appeal to a broader audience of people who may be undecided or have never voted for a Democrat before."
In June, Cedric Richmond, co-chair of the Biden campaign, stated that he would not shake Trump's hand before the CNN debate. Richmond suggested that Biden should "rise above pettiness" and not follow his advice, but a handshake did not occur.
The tradition of a pre-debate handshake has diminished in recent years, with Trump and Clinton not shaking hands in 2016 and Biden and Trump not shaking hands in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic.
On Tuesday night in Philadelphia, Trump and Harris will have the opportunity to uphold the tradition.
This report was contributed to by Joseph A. Wulfsohn, Jeffrey Clark, and Paul Steinhauser from Planet Chronicle Digital.
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