Fetterman skeptical debate will significantly impact election 

Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) said Monday he’s “not convinced” that Tuesday’s presidential debate will shake up the dynamics of the race between Vice President Harris and former President Trump, in an interview on MSNBC’s “Katy Tur Reports.” 

“I do believe that Harris is going to win [the debate], and Trump is going to have a strong performance too, but I do not think it’s going to change the underlying dynamic,” he said.  

Given how well voters know Trump at this point, Fetterman said the debate was unlikely to bring any new revelations to light or change the minds of already convinced Trump voters.  

“People understand who Trump is, and I don’t know why some people might have that kind of appeal, but after everything that’s been done and everything that’s happened,” he said. “I’m not very convinced that this debate is going to change things in a significant kind of away.” 

Fetterman last week welcomed Harris to western Pennsylvania, where she has hunkered down to prepare for the debate across the state in Philadelphia.  

Pennsylvania is shaping up to be the most important battleground state in the election with its 19 electoral college votes. Tur noted that no Democrat has won the presidency without Pennsylvania since 1948. 

Fetterman said his mission was to make sure Democrats “show up everywhere” in the coming weeks and mobilize voters to counter Trump’s strong support in small-town Pennsylvania.  

According to a recent poll from CBS, Harris and Trump are neck and neck in Pennsylvania, while The Hill/Decision Desk HQ polling averages show Harris leading Trump by less than 1 point in the state and roughly 3 points nationally. 

Ultimately, Fetterman said he doesn’t see either candidate running away with the state, but he does believe that a majority of Pennsylvanians do not want to go back to the “chaotic and unhinged” days seen under the Trump presidency. 

As Pennsylvania increasingly shifts to the center of the political world, Harris’s decision to select Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her running mate over Pennsylvania’s popular governor, Josh Shapiro, has come under increased scrutiny.  

Pollster Nate Silver wrote Sunday that “Harris also blew one big opportunity to tack to the center with her selection of Tim Walz rather than Josh Shapiro.” 

In an attempt to win over more centrist voters, Harris has shifted positions on several issues, such as fracking and border control.  

Many Republicans have urged Trump to focus on policy in the debate and in his broader rhetoric toward Harris, rather than personal attacks about her gender and ethnicity. 

Harris has embraced an “underdog” narrative going into the debate, as her rapid rise in the polls following her entrance into the race has plateaued. 

“It’s going to be very close right now, too, because it’s a very stark choice,” Fetterman said.