Debate expert tells Harris fact-check Trump 'like it's a contact sport' if moderators fail

Vice President Kamala Harris has to take fact-checking seriously when she goes toe-to-toe with former President Donald Trump on the debate stage Tuesday night.

That's according to former acting solicitor general and legal expert Neal Katyal, who talked to MSNBC host Jen Psaki on Monday night. And just as important, he argued: Harris cannot ignore it if the moderators let Trump slide on key issues.

"People know you as a Supreme Court expert, of course, and one of their favorite legal eagles," said Psaki, a former White House press secretary. "But you were also a champion debater, people should know, and you helped prep Gore. Harris is a prosecutor. She has a background as a prosecutor. She's very prepared, she's very thorough in her preparation. That can be an opportunity, but you also have to be agile in these moments."

With all that in mind, Psaki continued, "What are you watching for, and what do you think her background as a prosecutor might help her do and what might be a hindrance tomorrow night?"

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"Well, Jen, you know, Trump's record against prosecutors is 0-34. I suspect tomorrow is going to make it 0-35," jabbed Katyal.

He added that one thing to note is the debate starts with a "comparative advantage for Trump."

"It's going to take place in an empty auditorium. That's obviously a very familiar place to him these days, unlike Harris. I think that's going to be a little hard for Harris," he said. "The reason for that is as a prosecutor, you know you focus on facts. And you know, I remember in high school and college debate, the hardest thing to debate is someone who doesn't believe in facts, who has no respect for the truth. And every time Trump speaks, it's like the facts go on vacation. And so Harris has to fact-check him like it's a contact sport."

Additionally, he continued, "It's not about Trump, but it's with the moderators ... I have a lot of respect for anyone who volunteers for that role. But the fact is the moderators often let Donald Trump slide by with lie after lie, they don't ask the hard questions. Like, Trump called for mass arrests over the weekend. Is that going to come up? Those kinds of things don't typically come up. So I want the vice president to turn to the moderator and look at them and ask, why aren't you asking these questions, why are you letting him get away with this? It's not about Trump, it's about the moderators and how she comes out at the end."

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