Kamala Harris will stay in Pittsburgh as she prepares for next week’s Philly presidential debate

Vice President Kamala Harris arrived in Pittsburgh Thursday and is expected to stay in the city until Tuesday, when she will travel to Philadelphia to debate former President Donald Trump.

Harris landed in Pittsburgh Thursday afternoon, where she was greeted by Sen. John Fetterman (D., Pa.) and his wife, Gisele, on the tarmac. Harris then arrived at the Omni William Penn hotel in downtown Pittsburgh.

Harris is spending the weekend preparing in Pittsburgh to give her an opportunity to pop out for quick campaign appearances in a state that will be critical to her chances in the presidential race, sources familiar with her strategy told The Inquirer. Presidential candidates have done similar things in the past, including former President Barack Obama, who spent a few days ahead of the Nevada debate in 2012 campaigning in the state ahead of a debate with Republican Mitt Romney.

The Harris and Trump campaigns have both prioritized Pennsylvania, a key battleground state, in the days and weeks leading up to the debate on Sept. 10 at the National Constitution Center. This is Harris’ second visit to Pittsburgh this week after she campaigned there with President Joe Biden on Labor Day — their first joint event since Harris accepted the nomination.

Harris’ running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, embarked on his first solo trip to the commonwealth — including Pittsburgh — Wednesday and will continue his Pa. tour on Thursday. Trump was in Johnstown last Friday and participated in a Fox News Q&A in Harrisburg Wednesday night.

The vice president expects to be back in Pennsylvania the day after the debate when she and Biden will visit and pay their respects at the Flight 93 National Memorial in Shanksville on Sept. 11.

On Wednesday, ABC News released a full list of rules for next week’s debate, which will be presented without a live audience. Both candidates have agreed to the terms, which include muted microphones when a candidate is not speaking, a hotly contested item between the two campaigns.

Candidates will be allocated two-minute answers to questions, two-minute rebuttals, and one extra minute for follow-ups, clarifications, or responses. Harris and Trump will also not be permitted to ask questions of each other.

Additionally, the candidates will stand behind their podiums for the duration of the debate, are not allowed to bring prewritten notes on stage, and will not be making opening statements, ABC said in a news release.

Harris and Trump will have two minutes for closing statements. Trump will be making the final closing statement, choosing his spot after winning a coin toss, ABC said. Questions or topics will not be provided to the campaigns or candidates ahead of time.