**Biden’s Debate Prep Strategy: Be Prepared for Two Different Trumps**
WASHINGTON — As President Joe Biden gears up for Thursday’s debate, his team is preparing for the possibility of facing two very different versions of Donald Trump. On one hand, there’s the bombastic, grievance-filled Trump known for his fiery rallies. On the other, there’s a more disciplined Trump who sticks to policy and refrains from tirades. Biden’s strategy hinges on being ready for either version.
Biden’s advisers have been meticulously studying Trump’s recent comments to identify what might trigger him. The goal is to elicit what they see as “the true Trump,” according to sources familiar with the president’s debate prep. This involves understanding what might get under Trump’s skin and provoke an unhinged response.
Former Vice President Dan Quayle, a Republican, suggested that Biden should try to ridicule Trump to make him mad. Trump himself seemed aware of this dynamic, asking a rally crowd in Philadelphia whether he should be “tough and nasty” or “nice and calm” during the debate.
The debate could hinge on one candidate’s ability to throw the other off their game. One way Biden might attempt this is by pointing out that Trump lost the 2020 election and subsequently incited the January 6 insurrection. The idea is that calling Trump a “loser” might anger him enough to lash out.
However, the Biden campaign believes that whichever Trump shows up is largely irrelevant. “It really doesn’t matter how Donald Trump shows up,” said campaign co-chair Mitch Landrieu. “People are going to know that he’s a twice-impeached convicted felon who has been found to have defamed somebody, sexually abused somebody, and gone bankrupt six times.”
Attacking Trump for his actions after the 2020 election could help Biden with independent voters. The Biden team suspects that Americans who are on the fence would be turned off by Trump’s continued false claims that he won the election.
Biden’s team believes there is a “fine line to walk” because they want viewers to see Biden as the “adult in the room.” The official stressed that Biden doesn’t need to goad Trump into saying certain things because the contrast between their two visions will be clear without doing that.
Even if Trump avoids extreme rhetoric, Biden campaign officials are betting that the difference between the two candidates on issues like reproductive rights, democracy, social security, and Medicare will be stark enough to sway voters.
“On Thursday, the American people will see two distinct visions for the future on stage in Atlanta,” said Biden campaign communications director Michael Tyler. “President Biden’s vision, where freedoms are protected and all Americans have a fair shot, and Donald Trump’s dark vision, where he will serve as a dictator on day one, give tax cuts to the ultra-wealthy on the backs of the middle class, and rip away women’s rights.”
While Biden and his close advisers are discussing these strategies at Camp David, they are also focusing on the larger policy substance of the debate. “People want to hear what each candidate will do for their families, their rights, not just a game of politics and mudslinging,” said a former Biden aide.
Biden plans to argue that Trump cares only about himself and his legal challenges, while Biden’s first term has been dedicated to helping lower costs for Americans and expanding certain freedoms and rights. Biden has been trying to hone a positive economic message, even though many voters say they still don’t feel the effects of his policies in their day-to-day life.
He also plans to bring up abortion access and specifically Trump taking credit for the fall of Roe v. Wade, after appointing three conservative Supreme Court justices. If Trump says something false, Biden is prepared to point that out but is also aware that he shouldn’t spend the entire debate fact-checking his opponent.
The Biden team is hoping the moderators will step in when needed but are preparing the president to call out specific lies if Trump raises them. In terms of policy, Biden aides have been poring over thick binders, organized by topic, on “what we’ve done, what we want to do,” according to a White House official briefed on the prep.
The process, which started intensely several days ago, is “going well” so far and is expected to continue until Thursday when the president will depart Camp David for Atlanta.
As the debate approaches, both candidates are under immense pressure. Biden’s team is aware he cannot afford an underwhelming performance, especially given the aggressive attacks expected from Trump on his physical and mental strength, his record on the economy and immigration, and even his family.
Trump, ever confident, will stay on the campaign trail before going to his Florida estate for two days of private meetings as part of an informal prep process. His allies are pushing him to stay focused on his governing plans but expect him to be tested by pointed questions about his focus on election fraud, his role in the erosion of abortion rights, and his unprecedented legal baggage.
The debate will be full of firsts, with the potential to reshape the presidential race. Never before have two presumptive nominees met on the debate stage so early in the general election season. Never before have two White House contenders faced off at such advanced ages, with widespread questions about their readiness. And never before has a general election debate participant been saddled with a felony conviction.
The ground rules for the debate are unusual. The candidates agreed to meet at a CNN studio in Atlanta with no audience. Each candidate’s microphone will be muted except when it’s his turn to speak. No props or prewritten notes will be allowed onstage. The candidates will be given only a pen, a pad of paper, and a bottle of water.
There will be no opening statements. A coin flip determined Biden would stand at the podium to the viewer’s right, while Trump would deliver the final closing statement. The next debate won’t be until September, making any stumbles on June 27 hard to erase or replace quickly.
Biden arrived at Camp David on Thursday night and is expected to hunker down with senior campaign aides until the debate. While traveling to the mountainside retreat, he gave a thumbs up to reporters when asked how debate prep was going.
Biden’s aides have been reluctant to share details about his preparations but have signaled he’s preparing to be aggressive and wouldn’t shy away from using the term “convicted felon” to describe his opponent. One adviser noted Biden has been increasingly punchier in recent remarks about Trump and plans to carry that theme through to the debate, while still trying to project himself as “the wise and steady leader.”
Among some political operatives, there’s a sense Biden may have more to lose given his struggle to generate momentum amid signs of weakness within his political coalition. Trump and his allies have set an extraordinarily low bar by suggesting for months that Biden is contending with serious physical limitations.
Trump sought to shift expectations in a recent interview, saying he assumes Biden will be a worthy debater. Biden’s aides have dismissed concerns about his age and mental readiness, fighting against what they allege is deceptive editing of video clips to suggest he’s confused.
While some Democrats project confidence, Biden’s allies also say he has spent much of the last two weeks traveling, limiting his ability to prepare. Others note incumbent presidents typically struggle in the season’s opening general election debate.
Trump’s team sees the faceoff as an opportunity to demonstrate a clear contrast with Biden’s leadership ability and governing record. While downplaying his preparations, Trump aides have a pattern of insisting he doesn’t prepare for debates when, in fact, he does — in his own way.
Instead of mock debates with lecterns and stand-ins or hours spent poring over policy books, the ex-president is expected to rely on a series of conversations about policy and strategy with aides and political allies. Trump will also make public appearances over the coming days.
Biden’s camp is aware Trump will likely focus on his son Hunter, as he did on the debate stage four years ago. Hunter Biden was recently convicted on three felony charges related to the purchase of a gun while allegedly being addicted to drugs. Republicans have also criticized Hunter Biden’s foreign business dealings when Joe Biden was vice president.
Biden’s allies are also concerned that their famously combative rival might be on good behavior. For both campaigns, the goal is reaching an audience that wants to hear substantive policy discussions rather than a game of politics and mudslinging.
Source: NBC News, Associated Press
