"This is a campaign where [Kamala's] actually trying to highlight her former prosecutor background," says Tarini Parti. "She's bringing up the fact that he's, in part, 'weird' as Trump put it because he's so fixated on her identity on issues that aren't related to policy."

"I think this leads to a question here of this energy we're seeing when it comes to Kamala Harris and the Democratic Party," says Zolan Kanno-Youngs. "Is that simply energy connected to the change in the ticket now or is it there to last?"

"I'm sure at the convention we're going to see some of this awkwardness at play here," says Tarini Parti. "Because the convention for all these months was being set up to be headlined by someone else."

TONIGHT: Eugene Daniels, Susan Page, Mark Leibovich and Ali Vitali join Jeffrey Goldberg to discuss key moments from this past week's Democratic National Convention plus Donald Trump and JD Vance’s campaign efforts in battleground states. Watch at 8/7c on PBS!

How does the Harris campaign translate the momentum from the last few weeks and the Democratic National Convention? Eugene Daniels: "They need to get out on the road, and I think they need to do more than just go to big cities."

"In 33 days, [Kamala Harris] went from being number two on a ticket that was trailing, and now she has made virtually not a single mistake," said Susan Page. "And has claimed the nomination and momentum and ... got the Democrats back to an even up race."

About Harris' previous presidential run, Ali Vitali said Kamala Harris "has shaken off any of the ghosts of the 2020 debate cycle." "She was directionless in a field where people had clearly established lanes ... [and] confused as to what her policy positions were."

"I think [Kamala Harris] is propelled by forces well beyond herself. The sort of pent-up release around the unhappiness around Biden at the top of the ticket," said Mark Leibovich. "I think she clearly benefited from that."

"Everyone who looks at [Kamala Harris] knows that she is historic," said Ali Vitali. "They know that she occupies spaces that no black woman has ever occupied before and that she's breaking glass ceilings."

TONIGHT: Francesca Chambers, McKay Coppins, Jeff Mason and Domenico Montanaro join Jeffrey Goldberg to discuss Vice President Kamala Harris and Gov. Tim Walz’s first joint TV interview as well as Donald Trump’s controversial visit to Arlington National Cemetery. Watch at 8/7c on PBS!

"It is a toss-up race in all the seven main states that we're watching," says Domenico Montanaro about the polls between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump. "This is based on not just polling but conversations with the campaigns [and] historical trends."

How is the Trump campaign handling all of the change they've had to confront? "It's important to note the strategic shift in the way they're talking about the race," says McKay Coppins. "Donald Trump is not always interested in following whatever strategy they're laying out."

Explain Harris' strategy to not address Trump's remarks about her race. Francesca Chambers:"She wants to talk about the issues that she thinks will draw in more of those independent men and the suburban women." Jeff Mason:"She also doesn't want the headline to be race and gender."

"This was offensive to many people," says Jeff Mason about former President Donald Trump's visit to the Arlington National Cemetery. "Not just veterans but others as well who care a lot about the military and about that cemetery."

"Their key is really this trio of Pennsylvania, Georgia and North Carolina. They need all three of those to be able to win," said Domenico Montanaro when outlining Trump's possible path to victory. "Now they really have to spend their resources in a lot of different places."

TONIGHT: Leigh Ann Caldwell, Lisa Desjardins and Vivian Salama join guest moderator William Brangham to discuss the upcoming debate between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump, Trump’s Fox News town hall and Russian disinformation threats. Watch at 8/7c on PBS!

How important is the upcoming debate between Vice President Harris and former President Trump? Leigh Ann Caldwell: "What politics is all about is a contrast between the two candidates and the country will see that for the first time."

How is the Trump campaign preparing for the upcoming debate? Lisa Desjardins: "I was told by senior Trump campaign officials that they actually are doing a lot. We know that they brought in Tulsi Gabbard to be one of their consultants ... they want a woman in the room."

"At the end of the day, does Donald Trump's base care what Dick Cheney or any of these people have to say? The answer is no," said Vivian Salama. "A lot of them are choosing Republican policies over Democratic policies and not necessarily voting for the man himself."

Why isn't Kamala Harris mentioning the historic nature of her candidacy? "She thinks what's important is what matters to people and what she's going to do for them," said Leigh Ann Caldwell. "Her campaign and people around her know ... it did not work for Hillary Clinton."