President Joe Biden is preparing to face a variety of Donald Trumps during their upcoming debate, ranging from bombastic and unhinged to more disciplined and policy-focused. Biden’s advisers have been studying Trump’s recent comments to identify potential triggers that could elicit a specific response from the former president. The goal for Biden is to bring out the “true Trump” during the debate, whether that involves provoking his ire or engaging in a more substantive policy discussion. Former Republican vice president Dan Quayle suggested that ridicule might be an effective strategy to get Trump riled up.
The Biden campaign believes that regardless of which version of Trump shows up to the debate, his actions after the 2020 election can be a point of attack. Highlighting Trump’s refusal to accept the election results and his role in inciting the January 6th insurrection could be effective in swaying independent voters. While the campaign hopes to portray Biden as the adult in the room, they also want to draw a clear contrast between the two candidates’ visions for the future. Even if Trump avoids extreme rhetoric during the debate, the differences between Biden and Trump on issues like reproductive rights, democracy, and social security are expected to be stark.
In addition to focusing on Trump’s actions post-election, Biden’s team is also preparing to address policy substance during the debate. The campaign is working to convey Biden’s positive economic message and emphasize his efforts to lower costs for Americans and advance freedoms and rights. Biden may bring up topics like abortion access and Trump’s role in shaping the Supreme Court, to highlight the potential risks of a second Trump term. While Biden is prepared to fact-check Trump during the debate, he also aims to present his own vision for a second term and not get sidetracked by constant correction.
The debate preparation process involves reviewing detailed binders organized by topic, focusing on achievements and future plans. Biden’s team is working to balance a substantive policy discussion with strategies to provoke specific responses from Trump. The campaign hopes that the moderators will fact-check when needed, but Biden is ready to call out specific lies raised by Trump. The ultimate goal is to present a clear contrast between Biden’s vision for the future, focused on protecting freedoms and providing opportunities for all Americans, and what the campaign describes as Trump’s dark “vision,” characterized by tax cuts for the wealthy and threats to women’s rights.
