Thursday’s presidential debate will draw clear differences over the wars in Ukraine and Gaza, with President Biden’s call for unity among traditional allies expected to contrast with former President Trump’s tough talk and transactional foreign policy.
And while Ukraine and Israel may not be top priorities for U.S. voters, according to polls, what the two candidates say could be important in a tight election race, especially as Trump seeks to make the case for change and Biden argues that the Republican would harm US interests. .
Both Trump and Biden are looking to appeal to swing voters and independents in swing states, and the debate is a crucial moment for both to do so.
A Pew Research Center survey in February found most Americans consider both wars important to them: 59 percent say Ukraine’s war with Russia is important, while 65 percent say the same about the Israel-Hamas war, noted Jacob Poushter, associate director of research at Pew.
The conflict in Gaza has hung over Biden and raised questions about whether it will hurt him with the turnout of the Democratic base, especially in swing states like Michigan.
Biden will be challenged to win back Democratic and liberal voters who criticize him for not doing enough for the Palestinians, even though Trump has a history of denigrating and marginalizing Palestinians during his time in office.
“Biden has to bring back that coalition of young voters, people of color, and have him explain why he’s doing the things he’s doing regarding Israel in particular,” said Dina Smeltz, vice president of public opinion and policy. external. at the Chicago Council on Global Affairs.
Smeltz said independent and swing voters tend to have a negative view of U.S. involvement abroad — something that could play into Trump’s favor.
“More people say the cost of the U.S. role in the world is greater than the benefit,” she said.
Trump’s “America First” slogan is likely appealing to this group. Trump supporters also say the former president’s philosophy and blunt message that American involvement comes at a price lead U.S. allies to take more responsibility for their own security and defense.
In February, Trump proposed turning all US foreign aid into a loan – an idea that his Republican allies in Congress considered even as Congress passed Biden’s nearly $100 billion supplemental bill providing aid to Ukraine, Israel and the Indo-Pacific.
Biden is likely to highlight Trump and his allies’ opposition to supporting Ukraine, which has delayed aid for months. This sales pitch may attract most Democrats and independents who support continued military and economic assistance to Ukraine.
Trump has provided few details about how he would resolve the wars in Ukraine and Gaza. He claimed he would broker a deal between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky within 24 hours.
Eric Ueland, who served as undersecretary of state for civil security, democracy and human rights under Trump, said the former president will likely blame Biden for Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, linking it to the chaotic and deadly U.S. military withdrawal from Afghanistan in August 2022 .
“The fiasco and the terrible withdrawal from Afghanistan was an open invitation to Russia to see where else they could investigate and try to take advantage of a weak American president, and Ukraine is the result of that weakness,” he said.
Biden may also make an appeal to those who are concerned about U.S. involvement abroad. By withdrawing troops from Afghanistan, he ended America’s longest war. And he promised that there will be no US troops on the ground in Ukraine.
The two CNN journalists moderating the debate, Jake Tapper and Dana Bash, will likely try to draw Trump on Israel, an issue he has said little about.
Trump called on the Israeli military to “finish what they started” but spoke out critically against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu – a sharp shift from a staunchly pro-Israel policy during his time in the White House.
Trump had a close relationship with Netanyahu during his first term and moved the US Embassy to Jerusalem.
Some observers say the former president will likely use the debate to try to blame Biden for the Russian invasion and Hamas attack.
“All Donald Trump can say, what he has said repeatedly, is that if he were president, these things would not have happened, whether [Hamas’s attack on] October 7th, or the Iranian attack [on Israel]and that’s just empty braggadocio,” said Halie Soifer, executive director of the Jewish Democratic Council of America.
Trump pitched voters the idea that they were better off during much of his presidency than they were under Biden, an argument he uses on both economic and foreign policy issues.
“Some people may feel nostalgic for what they see as a more stable time in the world during the Trump era, not necessarily because of anything the administration was doing,” Smeltz said.
“Everyone looks back and doesn’t remember all the other turmoil and chaos we had back then.”
The debate between Biden and Trump will also be closely watched by viewers abroad, many of whom have a more positive view of Biden’s leadership compared to Trump. The future of the war in Ukraine and Gaza is seen as being deeply tied to the president who will lead in 2025.
“There is a very big difference between Biden and Trump, and I think it is very important for [the debate moderators] prolong it, because it could really change America’s standing in the world and the way our allies think about us,” Smeltz said.
“There is a big difference between their worldviews.”
Alex Gangitano contributed.
This story originally appeared on thehill.com read the full story
