Conservatives like podcast host Ben Shapiro have long alleged that instead of offering details on policy, Vice President Kamala Harris' strategy revolves around attacking former President Donald Trump.

That allegation seems to have been vindicated by a leak about how Harris is getting ready for next week's debate. 

Harris planning "to needle Trump"

An NBC News report cited four unnamed sources who said that "Harris and her team are focusing on homing in on how to needle Trump to rattle him."

"In that sense, the source said, it’s going to be less about substance and more about showcasing Harris as a woman who isn't scared and isn't going to cower and who is standing up to Trump and holding him accountable," the report went on to add.

Another source told the network that Trump performed poorly in this debate against President Joe Biden despite most observers having concluded that he won it.

"If you listen to the first debate without Joe Biden in it, that was the second worst debate performance in the history of presidential debates. It just got overshadowed because Joe Biden’s was that terrible," the figure declared.

Harris flip-flopped on border wall

Another individual suggested that Harris may attempt to embarrass Trump by bringing up his failure to make Mexico pay for a border wall.

However, such a strategy carries risks for the vice president, as it provides an opportunity to highlight how she has flip-flopped on the issue.

While Harris once denounced Trump's border wall plan as a "vanity project" that she would "not support under any circumstances," the vice president is now pledging to build a wall of her own.

Trump may also point out that the Biden administration's decision to cancel wall construction has forced taxpayers to spend tens of millions of dollars on storing unused building materials.

Tension over how to handle Biden's legacy

Another area of concern for Harris is the fact that she has spent much of the past four years serving under one of the most unpopular presidents in recent history.

"They are trying to figure out how to create some space between her and some of his decisions," one source was quoted as saying.

"There's a way to say it like 'I'm the vice president; I work at the behest and the direction of the president,'" he or she continued.

"She wants to figure out how to strategically answer those questions without creating problems for Biden. … But there are some on the team that don’t really care about causing problems for Biden," the source added.