NEW YORK — President Joe Biden begins an intense period of private preparations Friday at Camp David for what could be the most important presidential debate in decades.
The 81-year-old Democrat’s team is aware that it cannot afford a disappointing performance when facing its Republican rival. donald trump for 90 minutes live on television on June 27th. Biden’s team expects aggressive attacks on his physical and mental strength, his record on the economy and immigration, and even his family.
Trump, 78 and always confident, will continue campaigning before heading to his Florida estate next week for two days of private meetings as part of an informal preparation process.
The former president’s allies are pressing him to stay focused on his government plans, but they expect him to be tested by specific questions about his relentless focus on electoral fraud, his role in the erosion of abortion rights and his unprecedented legal background.
The CNN debate will be full of news, with the potential to reshape the presidential race. Never before in the modern era have two potential candidates met on the debate stage so early in the general election season. Never before have two candidates for the White House faced each other at such advanced ages, with widespread doubts about their preparation.
And never before has a participant in the general election debate been confronted with a conviction for a crime. The debate stage meeting comes just two weeks before Trump is set to be convicted of 34 criminal charges in his bribery trial in New York.
“You could argue that this will be the most important debate, at least in my lifetime,” said Democratic strategist Jim Messina, a 54-year-old who ran President Barack Obama’s 2012 campaign.
The ground rules for the June 27 debate, the first of two scheduled meetings, are unusual.
The candidates agreed to meet at a CNN studio in Atlanta without an audience. Each candidate’s microphone will be muted, except when it is their turn to speak. No props or pre-written notes will be permitted on stage. Candidates will only receive a pen, a pad of paper and a bottle of water.
There will be no opening statements. A coin toss determined that Biden would stand at the podium to the viewer’s right, while Trump would make the final closing statement.
The next debate will only be in September. Any stumbles on June 27 will be difficult to erase or replace quickly.
Biden arrived at Camp David on Thursday night and is expected to meet with campaign advisers leading up to the debate. While traveling to the mountain retreat, he gave reporters a thumbs up when asked how debate preparation was going.
The president’s aides have been reluctant to share details about the preparations, led by former chief of staff Ron Klain. But they signaled that he is preparing to be aggressive and would not hesitate to use the term “convicted criminal” to describe his opponent.
An adviser not authorized to speak publicly about debate strategy noted that Biden has been increasingly blunt in recent remarks about Trump and plans to bring that issue to the debate. This even while trying to project himself as “the wise and steadfast leader” in contrast to Trump, the adviser said.
Among some political players, there is a feeling that 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, however, by suggesting for months that Biden is facing serious physical limitations that make it difficult for him to stand for 90 minutes or string together two sentences.
“It’s like the mirror test. Put a mirror under Biden’s nose and if it fogs up he wins, right? That’s the limit for Biden,” said Republican strategist and Trump ally David Urban, laughing. “Can Biden demonstrate that he is mentally agile? That’s the big question.”
However, Trump sought to change expectations in a Thursday interview with “The All-In Podcast”, in which he drastically departed from his typical provocations of Biden. He said Biden “destroyed” vice presidential nominee Paul Ryan in their 2012 debate.
“I assume he will be someone who will be a worthy debater,” Trump said of Biden.
Biden aides dismissed concerns about his age and mental readiness. They are fighting what they claim is misleading editing of video clips to suggest he is confused.
But while some Democrats project confidence, Biden’s allies also say he has spent much of the past two weeks traveling — in Europe and the West Coast — limiting his ability to prepare. Others note that sitting presidents typically face difficulties in the season’s opening general election debate.
Messina defended both points, while also trying to highlight the political risks for Trump. He suggested that Trump was taking an unnecessary political risk by debating Biden, given Trump’s early lead in many polls.
“I wouldn’t have participated in the debate if I were him,” Messina said of Trump. “If you’re tied or a little ahead of the starter, why would you want to give him that look? He decided he wanted to do this to knock him out, and if he doesn’t, I think he’s going to be in serious trouble.”
Trump’s team sees the confrontation as an opportunity to demonstrate a clear contrast with Biden’s leadership ability and governing record.
And while they downplay his preparations, Trump’s advisers have a habit of insisting that he doesn’t prepare for debates when, in fact, he does — in his own way. Instead of mock debates with lecterns and surrogates or hours spent poring over policy books, the former president is expected to rely on a series of conversations about politics and strategy with advisers and political allies.
Trump will also make public appearances in the coming days.
On Saturday, he will host a rally in Philadelphia and give a speech at a conference of Christian conservatives in Washington. He will also hold a fundraiser in New Orleans on Monday before heading to his Florida estate for meetings.
“Biden needs rehearsals with handlers to find some way to explain this mess he has made of our nation,” said Trump spokesman Brian Hughes. “President Trump is always prepared to present to Americans his record of successes and Biden’s weaknesses and failures.”
Biden’s group is aware that Trump will likely focus on his son Hunter, as the then-president did on the debate stage four years ago. Hunter Biden was recently convicted of three criminal charges related to purchasing a gun while allegedly addicted to drugs. Republicans also criticized Hunter Biden’s foreign dealings when Joe Biden was vice president.
Biden’s allies are also worried, however, his famously combative rival may be behaving well.
“For both campaigns, the goal here is to reach an audience of moderate, independent and swing voters in swing states who will, in many ways, be the deciding factor in this election,” said former Biden administration official Bill Russo.
“Trump has a golden opportunity here. If he can pretend to be a reasonable human being for 90 minutes while in the spotlight, he has a lot to gain,” Russo added. “The real key here is for Trump to show up.”
___
Associated Press writers Michelle L. Price and Jill Colvin in New York and Seung Min Kim, Zeke Miller and Will Weissert in Washington contributed.
