How Biden and Trump are taking very different approaches to preparing for next week’s debate

NEW YORK (AP) — President Joe Biden begins an intense period of personal preparation Friday at Camp David for what’s going to likely be a very powerful presidential debate in many years.

The 81-year-old Democrat’s team knows they can not afford a disappointing performance once they face Republican rival Donald Trump for 90 minutes on live television on June 27. Biden’s team expects aggressive attacks on his physical and mental strength, his economic and immigration achievements, and even his family.

Trump, who’s 78 and all the time confident, will remain on the campaign trail before heading to his Florida estate next week for two days of personal meetings as a part of an off-the-cuff preparation process.

The former president’s allies are urging him to remain focused on his governing agenda, but they expect he shall be tested with sharp questions on his relentless deal with voter fraud, his role within the erosion of abortion rights and his unprecedented legal baggage.

The CNN debate shall be stuffed with revolutionary solutions which will change the form of the presidential race. Never before in the fashionable era have two presumptive candidates met on the debate stage so early in the overall election season. Never before have two White House candidates faced off at such a sophisticated age and there have been widespread questions on their readiness.

Never before has a participant in an election debate been convicted of a criminal offense. The debate stage meeting comes just two weeks before Trump is scheduled to be convicted of 34 crimes in a New York hush money trial.

“You could argue that this will be the most important debate, at least in my lifetime,” said Democratic strategist Jim Messina, 54, who managed President Barack Obama’s 2012 campaign.

Pressure on Biden

The basic principles of the debate scheduled for June 27 – the primary of two planned meetings – are unusual.

The candidates agreed to meet at CNN’s Atlanta studios without an audience. Each candidate’s microphone shall be muted unless it’s their turn to speak. No props or previously written notes could also be brought on stage. Candidates will only receive a pen, pad of paper and a bottle of water.

There shall be no opening statements. A coin toss determined that Biden would stand at the rostrum to the viewer’s right and Trump would make the ultimate statement.

The next debate will happen in September. Any stumbles on June 27 shall be difficult to quickly remove or replace.

Biden arrived at Camp David on Thursday evening and is anticipated to stick with senior campaign advisers until the debate. During the trip to a mountainside shelter, he gave reporters a thumbs-up when asked how preparations for the debate were going.

The president’s advisers are reluctant to share details about his preparations, led by former chief of staff Ron Klain. However, they signaled that he was preparing to act aggressively and wouldn’t hesitate to use the term “convicted felon” to describe his opponent.

One adviser, who shouldn’t be authorized to speak publicly about debate strategy, noted that Biden has been increasingly blunt in recent remarks about Trump and plans to move the subject to the debate. The adviser said he still tries to present himself as a “wise and steady leader” unlike Trump.

Some political activists imagine Biden could have more to lose, given his struggle to create momentum amid signs of weakness in his political coalition. But Trump and his allies have set the bar extremely low, suggesting that Biden has been struggling for months with severe physical limitations that make it difficult for him to last 90 minutes or string two sentences together.

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“It’s like a mirror test. Put a mirror under Biden’s nose and if he fogs up, he wins, right? That’s more or less the threshold for Biden,” laughed Republican strategist and Trump ally David Urban. “Can Biden demonstrate that he is mentally competent? This is the most important question.”

But Trump tried to shift expectations in a Thursday interview on “The All-In Podcast,” wherein he departed sharply from Biden’s typical taunts. He said Biden “destroyed” vice presidential candidate Paul Ryan through the 2012 debate.

“I assume it will be someone who will be a worthy debater,” Trump said of Biden. “I don’t want to disrespect him.”

Biden’s advisers have dismissed concerns about his age and mental readiness. They are fighting what they are saying is deceptive editing of video clips intended to suggest he’s confused.

But while some Democrats express confidence, Biden’s allies also say he has spent much of the last two weeks traveling — in Europe and on the West Coast — limiting his ability to prepare. Others note that incumbent presidents typically struggle through the season-opening general election debate.

Messina made each points at the same time as he sought to raise the political stakes for Trump. He suggested that Trump is taking unnecessary political risks by debating Biden, given Trump’s early lead in lots of polls.

“If I were him, I wouldn’t be having this debate,” Messina said of Trump. “If you are tied or barely ahead of the incumbent president, why would you would like to give him that vibe? He decided he wanted to do it to knock him out, and if he doesn’t try this, I believe he’s going to be in real trouble.

Trump inspires confidence

Trump’s team sees the confrontation as a possibility to show a stark contrast to Biden’s leadership skills and record of governing.

And by downplaying his preparation, Trump’s advisers tend to insist that he doesn’t prepare for the debates, when actually he does – in his own way. Instead of mocking debates with lecterns and surrogates or hours spent studying policy textbooks, the previous president is anticipated to depend on a series of conversations about policy and strategy with advisers and political allies.

Trump may also make public appearances in the approaching days.

On Saturday, he’s scheduled to host a rally in Philadelphia and deliver the keynote address on the Christian Conservative conference in Washington. He’s also hosting a fundraiser in New Orleans on Monday before heading to his Florida mansion for meetings.

“Biden needs rehearsals with advisers to find a way to explain the mess he has made in our nation,” Trump spokesman Brian Hughes said. “President Trump is always ready to present to the American people his record of successes and Biden’s weaknesses and failures.”

Biden’s camp is aware that Trump will likely deal with his son Hunter, just because the then-president did on the debate stage 4 years ago. Hunter Biden was recently convicted on three counts related to purchasing a gun as a part of his alleged drug addiction. Republicans also criticized Hunter Biden’s overseas business dealings when Joe Biden was vp.

Biden’s allies are also concerned, but their famously combative rival could also be on his best behavior.

“For both campaigns, the goal is to reach an audience of moderate, independent, swing voters in swing states who will be the deciding factor in many ways in this election,” said former Biden administration official Bill Russo.

“Trump has a great opportunity here. If he can pretend to be a reasonable person for 90 minutes in the spotlight, he has a lot to gain,” Russo added. “The real key here is the emergence of Trump.”