Candidates' economic policy proposals will be a major focus of tonight's presidential debate between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump. Wolfe Research head of US policy and politics Tobin Marcus joins Catalysts to discuss what to expect from both the debate and the upcoming election.

"I think in large part this debate is going to end up being a contest of who can define the other candidate as the bigger risk," Marcus explains. He notes that Harris is the candidate that voters will have more questions about, and Trump will likely use that to characterize her platform as "radical" and "far left." Meanwhile, Marcus believes Harris will likely lay out a "much more moderate agenda... relative to where she's been in the past in terms that can connect with voters."

From an investor perspective, Marcus highlights that the debate will be an opportunity to learn more about each candidate's proposals if they were to take office in 2025. The debate will be critical to those undecided as Harris will lay out her economic platform "in terms that are believable to swing voters."

Marcus adds there's "a mix of risks and opportunities" for both candidates. He notes that if Trump wins the election, he will likely gain unified Republican control of Congress. On the other hand, if Harris wins, she will likely have a Republican Senate and will have to work on securing bipartisan deals.

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This post was written by Melanie Riehl