Trump's insults of Harris in debate carry big risks - for both candidates

Washington (Reuters): In the 2016 presidential debates, Republican candidate Donald Trump loomed over Democratic contender Hillary Clinton, called her a "nasty woman" and said she didn't have the "look" or "stamina" to serve as commander-in-chief.

Tuesday's nationally televised debate, the first face-to-face meeting between Trump and his Democratic rival, Vice President Kamala Harris, could be a critical juncture in a race that is essentially tied eight weeks before the Nov. 5 election.

Trump has already leveled a series of racist and sexist attacks against Harris. The former president has falsely claimed Harris, who is Black and South Asian, only recently "became a Black person."

He reposted a vulgar online message suggesting she used sex to advance her career. He fired off insults that play into tropes about women and Black people, calling her "weak," "dumb as a rock" and "lazy."

Deploying those attacks in front of tens of millions of viewers - and Harris' response - would carry risks for both candidates, according to interviews with eight pollsters, debate and political experts, and Black activists. More than 51 million TV viewers tuned in to watch the debate between Trump and Democratic President Joe Biden in June.

Trump's insults might alienate key voter groups, including women, Black voters and moderates, according to John Geer, a professor at Vanderbilt University and an expert on presidential politics. "They're just going to get turned off by that kind of rhetoric," he said.