JOE Biden’s blockbuster showdown with Donald Trump could well be the most-watched presidential debate in American history, a former Republican candidate said.
The 81-year-old commander in chief will face his 78-year-old rival in Atlanta, Georgia, on Thursday – months before Americans go to the polls.
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The event marks a break from tradition, as debate season usually begins after Labor Day in September.
Biden and Trump are expected to clash over a range of topics, from inflation and the environment to immigration and abortion, in what will be a packed showdown that will be broadcast on CNN.
And Joe Walsh, who served in Congress between 2011 and 2013 and is a former Republican presidential candidate, predicted how the debate might play out.
“It will be very popular. It could be the most-watched presidential debate in America history,” he told The US Sun.
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“A lot of people will watch because they don’t know what’s going to happen.
“There’s a lot at stake and people don’t know how it’s going to play out.”
Walsh also offered insight into how he thinks both political heavyweights will perform and their challenges.
“I generally think Biden will do well at 81 Joe Biden can do,” he said.
But the former lawmaker said Trump would be more moderate than usual.
Trump is known for his enthusiastic performances, but he was criticized for being too heated in the first debate of the 2020 presidential cycle.
Even top Republicans criticized Trump’s debate performance nearly four years ago.
Biden was involved in strategic negotiations with his top advisers in preparation for the debate.
He and top strategist Ron Klain have been devising ways to dispel allegations that the president is not fit enough to serve another term.
Biden’s team is also trying to ensure the current president isn’t caught off guard, especially when Trump launches attacks.
Trump v Biden: the first debate of 2024
Donald Trump and Joe Biden will face off in Atlanta, Georgia, in the first debate of the 2024 presidential election cycle.
The debate begins at 9pm EST on CNN and will air for 90 minutes.
There will be two commercial breaks, but political strategists are prohibited from talking to the candidates during this period.
It will be moderated by CNN anchors Jake Tapper and Dana Bash.
Biden and Trump cannot rely on banknotes or cue cards as these have been banned.
But they can take pen, paper and water.
Candidates will have their microphones muted when they are not speaking.
There will be no audience and it is not known what topics will be on the agenda.
Source CNN
Walsh doesn’t believe Trump has anything to prove because voters have already created their perception of the former president.
“This debate is much more important for Biden,” he said.
“Biden has a hurdle and a hurdle just when it comes to re-election. Is he very old? Is he up to the job?
“Joe Biden has to prove it. And if Joe Biden can’t prove he’s up to the job, he won’t win.”
Walsh warned that the president cannot count on his friends in Democratic circles to pull him out of the hole.
“Our election is that simple. If Biden can prove that he is not too old, he will win in November,” he said.
What are Trump and Biden’s platforms?
A look at the issues that matter most to candidates.
Biden Talking Points:
- The importance of democracy after the January 6th attack on the Capitol
- Defender of abortion rights after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade at 6-3 in 2022
- His Build Back Better plan, the $2.2 trillion infrastructure spending bill introduced in 2021
- Support for Ukraine and Israel while they are at war
- Highlight the strong US economy and low unemployment rates during his presidency
Trump Talking Points:
- Slam issues on the US-Mexico border, which was a critical talking point for his 2016 victory
- Criticize the series of criminal and civil cases filed against him
- Applaud the Trump-appointed Supreme Court justices who overturned Roe after the death of Ruth Bader Ginsburg
- Discuss a plan to end the war between Russia and Ukraine, although he did not say which country wants to win
- Defends parents’ rights to regulate and restrict discussion of gender, sexuality and race in schools
“There are a lot more undecided voters in America right now than people think.
“All the experts say, ‘Everyone has already decided. This is bullshit. There are a lot of people in the middle who don’t like Trump but are really worried that Biden is too old.
“Many of these voters don’t know which way to go.”
Walsh acknowledged that Thursday’s race is unique in that he believes specific policies will take a backseat.
“It’s much less about presentation and much more about him being able to get on stage and look and sound together,” he said.
“Only Biden can do this, not Obama and no Hollywood movie star.
“Joe Biden has to present himself to the American people and do so regularly.”
He suggested that Biden should accept his age, smile and mock Trump.
Walsh encouraged Biden to remind voters about the fallout from the 2020 presidential election and Trump’s refusal to concede.
But Trump should criticize Biden’s record, according to Walsh.
If Joe Biden can’t prove he’s up to the job, he won’t win.
Joe Walsh
“Trump cannot be a crazy man. He has to go after Biden,” he said.
“He has to upset Biden. He has to make Biden look bad and silly and make him look old.
“He has to make Biden look like Biden has no idea what he’s doing and go after his record because he’s vulnerable.
“Biden is vulnerable on immigration, he is vulnerable on Israel, he is vulnerable on crime and the economy.
“If I’m Trump, I’m criticizing Biden because of this.”
Biden’s presidency was filled with a series of gaffes and episodes in which he appeared senior.
Diplomatic sources told The Sun that Biden at the G7 in Italy was the worst they had ever seen him.
In recent weeks, Biden appeared to freeze at a star-studded event with former President Barack Obama and a White House concert.
White House officials lashed out at Republicans after the video featuring Obama went viral.
Karine Jean-Pierre, White House press secretary, called Republicans desperate.
In the video, Obama put his arm around Biden and critics claimed that the former president was helping the current president.
“They are friends,” said Jean-Pierre.
“They are like family to each other.”
The White House shared its own clips that showed Biden pausing for applause.
Biden has also suffered stumbles and falls at times during his presidency.
He climbed the stairs of Air Force One and fell at the Air Force Academy graduation ceremony.
Biden was described as an elderly man with a poor memory in a Special Counsel report published in February.
The bombshell dossier was released following an investigation into Biden’s handling of classified files.
Meanwhile, Trump enters the debate with a litany of legal cases hanging over him.
He was convicted in Manhattan on 34 counts of falsifying business documents.
His sentencing is scheduled for July 11 – days before the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Trump faces four charges in total.
He was indicted on allegations he mishandled confidential documents at his Florida resort, Mar-a-Lago.
Trump was also charged in relation to the events that occurred on January 6, 2021, in Capitol.
He was indicted on allegations that he attempted to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election in Georgia.
Georgia was one of the key battleground states that Trump lost in 2020.
Trump vehemently denies all allegations that have been made against him.
IS AGE JUST A NUMBER?
The debate is happening earlier than usual as Biden campaign bosses try to change course, according to Walsh.
“The Biden team wanted this because they know they are losing and they need to change the dynamic now, before the convention,” he said.
“The dust is settling now because Biden is very old. Biden decided to hold this early debate to change that perception.”
Walsh believes Biden will not participate in additional debates with Trump if he has a strong night.
“Their hope is that they can change the trajectory of race and at the time summer It’s over, Biden will have the lead and there’s no reason to give Trump oxygen,” he added.
But Walsh warned that alarm bells could ring for Democrats if Biden has a bad night.
“The Democrats will be in trouble and he will be in trouble. So he has to look for something else to change it, like at his convention.”
Walsh warned that an extremely poor night could even be politically fatal for the president.
“If Biden has an absolutely horrible night, it’s not out of the question that Democrats will knock on his door and say ‘Mr. President, we need to do something different. We need another nominee,’” he said.
THE STAKES ARE HIGH
This could involve top Democrats like Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and perhaps even former presidents telling Biden the game is over.
Trump is entering the debate with a lead in the polls in the race for the White House.
He is ahead nationally by one percentage point, so Really clear policy.
Biden was ahead by more than nine points on average in June 2020.
Trump leads in six of the seven swing states.
PCR puts Wisconsin in a tie with both candidates at 46.9%.
At the end of April, Trump was ahead by two points, but his lead has since evaporated and the two candidates are now tied.
On this day in 2020, Biden was ahead of Trump by eight points.
The polls are dismal reading for Biden, as his approval ratings are underwater.
And most Americans believe the country is heading in the wrong direction.
Only 25% of Americans think the US is heading in the right direction, according to the researches.
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This story originally appeared on The-sun.com read the full story
