This Thursday, former president Donald Trump will go head-to-head with current president Joe Biden in the all important first presidential debate of the 2024 campaign season. Here’s what to look for…
TRUMP TALKING POINTS: We expect Trump to highlight Biden family corruption, Hunter Biden’s criminal history, the wars in Ukraine and Gaza, the perception that the United States is a declining world power, the weaponization of the Deep State against all Americans who don’t conform to woke ideology, and the failed economic policies of the Biden administration.
BIDEN TALKING POINTS: We expect Biden to focus on Trump’s legal troubles, his complicity in the events of January 6th, Roe vs. Wade, and “radical MAGA extremists.”
VERBAL GAFFES: While Joe Biden is a known gaffe machine (a flaw that has greatly accelerated in recent years), Trump is also know to make wild and provocative statements when he goes off script. The rules of the debate do not allow for note cards or teleprompters. Can the candidates navigate 90 minutes of unscripted debate without a major verbal gaffe that becomes the headline and hurts their campaign?
THE ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM: All but the most partisan hacks who are blinded by their hatred for Donald Trump will acknowledge Joe Biden’s cognitive and physical decline. The president’s handlers have taken extraordinary steps to hide his impairment and have told the American people not to believe what they can clearly see and hear with their own eyes and ears.
The big questions are…
- Will his cognitive abilities reinforce the narrative that Biden may not have the capacity to serve as president?
- Will the CNN moderators and/or producers run interference if Biden finds himself in an embarrassing or revealing situation.
- How will Trump handle a situation where Biden’s cognitive impairment is on full display? Will he be diplomatic and respectful, or will he go for the jugular (metaphorically speaking)?
- How will the voting audience perceive cognitive embarrassments?
POLICY: Debates are meant to offer meaningful discussions about policies important to the voting public. While this is rarely the case, both Biden and Trump are expected to highlight their records of achievement during their respective terms in office. These records are highly subject to political spin and will likely be interpreted by each voter based on their economic circumstances, political biases, and where they typically source their political news. In the end, we do not anticipate the public will be treated to a case study in substantive political policy debates.
LAWFARE: Trump has been the subject of numerous lawsuits by the Department of Justice and radical judicial activists aligned with the Biden administration. These lawsuits have severely hamstrung Trump’s ability to campaign, trampled on his Constitutional rights, and made a mockery of the justice system. The tactics have been labeled “lawfare” by those who recognize them as a heavy handed weaponization of the legal system. We fully expect Biden to refer to Trump as a “convicted felon”. How will Trump respond?
To watch the debate live, please tune into the CNN broadcast this Thursday, June 27th at 9:00pm ET. We encourage you to pay close attention, use critical thinking, draw your own conclusions, and ignore the political spin from the mainstream media.
