Donald Trump receives warning from Megyn Kelly before Kamala Harris debate

Conservative podcast host Megyn Kelly warned former President Donald Trump about possible tactics from Vice President Kamala Harris ahead of Tuesday's 2024 candidates' debate in Philadelphia.

Kelly told RealClearPolitics that Harris, the Democratic presidential candidate, “is being coached to stay calm and not get drawn into Trump's personal attacks. She and her team are focused on how to unsettle and unnerve Trump. It's less about substance and more about portraying Harris as a woman who is unafraid,” according to an NBC News report.

During the conversation The Megyn Kelly Show The host joked that people seemed to want a president who wasn't afraid of Trump. This prompted RealClearPolitics host Carl Cannon to point out that Kelly herself is a woman who isn't afraid of Trump, prompting him to question whether that made her qualified to be president.

“Trump has to be careful,” Kelly said, suggesting that Harris could portray herself as a victim during the debate against Trump by exploiting her gender.

“He can't do anything aggressive, even if she will be aggressive towards him,” she added.

The media star and the former president have had a contentious relationship over the years, which was particularly evident during Kelly's time as a host on Fox News and a Republican debate in 2015.

When she asked Trump about his past comments about women, he later made the infamous statement: “You could see the blood coming out of her eyes, blood coming out of her everywhere.”

Since leaving Fox, Kelly has launched a podcast and a YouTube show. She recently declared that her feud with Trump is over, and Trump agreed to an interview with her in 2023.

During the hour-long conversation, Kelly praised his answer to her debate question from nearly a decade ago, and she has continued to defend Trump since then.

Trump and Harris are preparing for Tuesday's presidential debate in very different ways, setting the stage for a showdown that will highlight their opposing visions for the country and showcase their different approaches to high-pressure situations.

Both candidates are expected to remain behind their lecterns during the debate, but Republicans hope Trump will avoid provocations such as finger-pointing, yelling or other confrontations with Harris that could alienate suburban women or swing voters.

This will be their first face-to-face meeting on stage in Philadelphia, and both know that Pennsylvania is critical to their chances of winning the presidency.

A loss in that state would make it difficult to win back the necessary electoral votes elsewhere. Both have visited Pennsylvania frequently – Harris is expected to return on Friday and Trump was in Butler County on July 13, when he survived an assassination attempt.

The presidential debate begins Tuesday at 9 p.m. ET on ABC News.

Update 09/24/24, 11:19 a.m. ET: This article has been updated with additional information.