Donald TrumpRepublican allies on Capitol Hill want him to play nice in his first 2024 debate with the president Joe Biden on Thursday.
They urge the former president — who often goes off script and pulls wild pranks during campaign appearances — to stick to policy and contrast his plans for another term in the White House with Biden’s tenure as president and his dealings with the economy.
And they want him to refrain from talking about an allegedly stolen election, something he often brings up among his supporters during his campaign.
“He needs to focus on looking ahead,” said Senator John Smith. Mike Rounds (RS.D.) said. “He should be looking at what our policy needs are, he should be looking at what it’s going to do to bring down the price of groceries, what he’s going to do to bring down the price of gasoline and energy. He has to put the past behind him.”
“I would talk more about the future and how I’m going to clean up Joe Biden’s mess,” Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) added.
However, Trump was focused on other matters before the start of the debate. Over the weekend, he suggested, without evidence, that Biden is taking medical supplements to “get amped up” for their confrontation. And on Monday, the former president again challenged Biden to take a drug test, adding that he too would “immediately” agree to take one if Biden agrees.
Trump, 78, and his allies have for months attacked the 81-year-old Biden as too old and unfit for the presidency. Polls have shown that Biden’s age and Trump’s felony conviction are issues for voters in the upcoming election, and both could certainly come up during Thursday’s debate.
Asked whether Trump should bring up Biden’s age at the CNN debate, Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.), a key Trump ally, said: “You don’t have to. I think everyone has already decided that Biden can’t get the job done.”
“All [Trump] all he has to do is talk about what he did. If he talks about what he did, he should have a great debate,” Scott said.
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) also urged Trump to focus on creating contrast with Biden on key issues, including the economy and foreign policy.
“It’s not just about the age, it’s about the performance,” Graham said. “For me it is a debate about the wrong track and the right track. If you think we are on the wrong track, explain why and how to get back on track.”
The first debate between Biden and Trump in 2020 was marked by near-constant interruptions, mostly by Trump. At one point, Biden expressed his frustration, telling Trump: “Will you shut up, man?” During Thursday’s debate, which will be hosted by CNN, microphones will be muted except when a candidate is acknowledged as speaking.
Biden has spent the past week preparing for the debate with top aides at Camp David, the presidential retreat in Maryland, including mock sessions and practice setbacks on potential Trump weaknesses such as immigration and abortion access. according to to The New York Times.
The Republican Party’s strategy to make Biden appear weak and incompetent backfired in March when the president delivered an energetic and forceful State of the Union (SOTU) address. speech before Congress, which earned him critical acclaim. Democrats believe Trump is falling into a similar trap this time.
“I think the danger that Republicans run with him, at least before SOTU, is that they take him down: ‘Oh, he can’t do it,’” Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) said of Biden. “Then he’s doing fine, but not only does he look good, he looks better than good, because they’re taking him down. If anything, they should lower expectations about how Trump will do.”
Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), meanwhile, said Biden should not shy away from concerns about his age.
“We have two presidential candidates who are both advanced in age,” Murphy said. “That’s just the reality of this election, I think [Biden] is at his best when he doesn’t hide from his age and makes people understand that there is actually wisdom in having a few years on this earth.
Trump does not hold mock debate sessions, but rather holds policy discussions with allies and experts, including members of Congress. Last week, he appeared to try to build expectations about Biden’s performance, calling the president a “worthy debater.”
“I don’t want to underestimate him,” Trump said said in an appearance on the podcast “The All-In” last week.
