Trump Set The Debate Bar…. LOW

It was a big mistake

Donald Trump doesn’t know what to expect from Joe Biden in the first presidential debate on CNN.

In one recent statement, Trump set the bar low, describing President Biden as someone who would have trouble navigating his way to the debate stage and is  the “worst debater I have ever faced; he can’t put two sentences together.”

But in another statement, Trump recently noted, “I’m not underestimating him. … I assume he’s going to be somebody that will be a worthy debater.”

Does Trump really respect Biden’s ability or does he consider him a doddering and incoherent opponent? I’m not sure Trump even knows, because when he speaks about the upcoming debate he’s actually working the crowd. He wants everyone who tunes in to have both evaluations in mind and then, when one inevitably proves to be correct, conclude that the “former guy,” as Biden has called the ex-president, was right.

The only way to deal with Trump’s schtick, which is similar to the trickery he uses to jigger with expectations for Election Day, is to ignore it. We have to decide how we will assess the contest and reach our own conclusions, no matter the spin.

For Biden, the challenge will be dealing with Trump’s chaotic style, which is sure to find him ignoring the gist of every question and using every minute he has, to lie about him. Trump will raise his voice. He’ll leer and sneer and may even pound the podium. Unlike Biden, he will have trouble speaking coherently. Instead, he will throw out words like “loser” and “sleepy” and “dictator.”  

This behavior has been foreshadowed by his ridiculous -- I would say libelous --  claim that Biden will be on some sort of stimulant.  This crazy notion arose after an energized Biden hit a home run in his State of the Union speech, defying all those who say that at 80 he’s too old to serve.

The age issue could be taken off the table if Biden repeats the SOTU performance and there’s no reason to think he can’t. He has devoted plenty of time to debate prep, (which Trump has criticized) and has, no doubt, been testing himself against someone who has played Trump in mock debates. Biden has also participated in so many campaign debates over the years that he should have no trouble keeping his cool and holding to his own agenda.

Biden’s agenda will undoubtedly be focused on three things. The first is Trump’s role in the appointment of three Supreme Court Justices who supplied the key votes in the decision that overturned abortion. (With most people favoring this right, Biden has a winning issue here.)  Biden’s second theme will be centered on the threat Trump poses to democracy, which is symbolized by his followers’ violent attempt to block the certification of the 2020 election. The third of Biden’s issues will be Trump’s criminality, which was recently proven in a New York courtroom.

For his part, Trump will try to flip the script, calling Biden a threat to democracy, speaking of him as a criminal, and predicting that Biden-appointed judges will prove disastrous for the country. Trump will go on offense when it comes to inflation, and he will try to make it seem like Biden is against pumping oil, even though American production is at a record high.

But let’s face it. What we and the pundits will be watching for will have little to do with policy and everything to do with style and temperament. I think Trump has miscalculated. Yes, he has murmured a few things about Biden’s competence but everyone knows that Trump has been trying to smear Biden as a man in cognitive decline. This has been going on since the 2020 election. Biden may move less briskly, but I don’t think he’s in decline mentally. (I can’t say the same for Trump.)

 But even if Biden struggles a bit, remember that Trump says the president can’t “put two sentences together.” Then consider the word salad that shoots out of Trump’s mouth every time he speaks. Finally, ask yourself -- Which one will string two sentences together?