WASHINGTON : Former President Donald Trump has a very basic plan for debating Vice President Kamala Harris – attack, attack, attack – but says he has no idea how it will play out in prime time on Tuesday.

Describing debates as spur-of-the-moment events, Trump braced supporters for the Harris showdown in Philadelphia by citing a quote attributed to 1980s boxing champion Mike Tyson: “Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth.”

“You can go in with all the strategy you want, but you have to sort of feel it out as the debate’s taking place,” Trump said last week during a Fox News town hall in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.

That said, Trump and aides said he plans to go after Harris over issues like the economy, inflation, and immigration – and will likely make a few personal attacks, despite admonitions from allies that he stick to the issues.

Trump has also prepared by seeking to lower expectations – and trying to intimidate moderators – by questioning the fairness of the debate sponsors, ABC News.

As with previous presidential debates against Democratic foes Hillary Clinton and Joe Biden, Trump and his aides said he has prepared in his traditional non-traditional way: Discussions with aides and advisers, interviews, and speeches.

One difference this time around: Debate consultations with former U.S. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, who ran for president as a Democrat and ripped Harris during an early primary debate in 2019.

Trump is hoping for the kind of debate he had June 27 against Biden, the incumbent president whose poor performance pretty much pushed him out of the presidential race. The 81-year-old Biden endorsed Harris, his vice president, right after announcing his withdrawal on July 21.

Since then, Trump has oscillated between policy attacks and personal attacks on Harris, even while acknowledging that his advisers are urging him to stick to the issues.

North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, who almost wound up as Trump’s running mate, told NBC’s “Meet The Press” that “when he stays on the issues, policies … those are the winning issues.”

Trump aides said his top priority is to tie together Harris and Biden in both domestic and foreign policy. “She owns every failure of the Harris-Biden administration,” said senior adviser Jason Miller.

Negative approach

Yet since Harris joined the race, Trump has mocked the pronunciation of her first name, her race, and even her laugh. He has falsely accused Harris of being a “communist” and a “Marxist,” all in unprecedented language for a major party candidate.

Political analysts said pollsters said Trump’s conservative base loves the personal attacks, but they tend to turn off moderate and independent voters who believe politics is too negative and divisive.