Welcome to the online version of From the Political Bureauan evening newsletter featuring the latest reporting and analysis from the NBC News Politics team on the campaign trail, the White House, and Capitol Hill.
On today’s edition, the “Meet the Press” moderator explains what to watch for in tonight’s debate. Plus, Natasha Korecki and Ben Kamisar share the lessons they’ve learned from watching 19 previous debate performances by Joe Biden and Donald Trump.
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What to look out for in tonight’s debate
By Kristen Welker
The first debate of 2024 between the president Joe Biden and former president Donald Trump will provide plenty of moments of opportunity and potential danger for both candidates. As moderator of Biden and Trump’s final debate, I’ll be watching for some specific exchanges that could influence the small group of undecided voters who will be the deciding factor in the election.
1. Which Trump will emerge? As I prepared to moderate the final debate of 2020, one question loomed: Would Trump deliver the same bombastic performance as in the first debate? Trump’s allies urged him to show more restraint in the second debate, and he did so.
The former president’s inner circle is advising him to repeat that performance tonight, according to several Trump allies. One said that would include allowing Biden to speak at length, which Trump’s team said could lead to moments that suggest to viewers that Biden is unfit to serve another term. Trump advisers also want him to attack Biden on issues such as the economy and border security.
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2. Can Biden turn around perceptions of his strength? Biden’s campaign and other Democrats are viewing the debate as the first of several pivotal moments before early voting begins. They hope it will change the dynamics of the race, which remains incredibly close as Trump narrowly leads in several key states.
Biden’s top aides know he must deliver a strong performance, not least to prove to skeptical voters that he has what it takes to stay in office for another four years.
“President Biden will have had a good night if he can make it clear that he’s doing this for the right reasons,” a top Democratic strategist told NBC News. “There’s going to be some policy back and forth and a lot of disagreement, but ultimately the fundamental question is who appears to have your support.”
3. How does Trump respond when his recent conviction is brought up? Trump has consistently and baselessly presented the criminal convictions as purely political and orchestrated by Biden to gain an advantage with voters. Tonight he gets the chance to make that case before millions of Americans. So far, Trump’s convictions have done little to change the overall dynamic of the race.
A Trump adviser familiar with the debate preparations told NBC News: “Trump is not only prepared, but he expects Biden to punish him for the 34 crimes.”
Read more from “Meet the Press” moderator Kristen Welker on what to watch tonight →
What we learned from watching 19 debate performances by Biden and Trump
By Natasha Korecki and Ben Kamisar
Ahead of tonight’s debate, it is clear that Biden and Trump expect an enemy they know well.
The two men debated twice in 2020 – with a third canceled after Trump contracted Covid. The first was a raucous affair that saw Trump constantly interrupted and Biden calling him a “clown” and a “liar,” and the second a much more subdued affair as the candidates made their final pitch to voters.
In recent weeks, Trump has raised expectations for Biden as the president and his team have devised strategies to get under Trump’s skin. The Biden and Trump campaigns have both waged a public war against each other’s mental capabilities in the hope of sowing doubt about whether their opponent is up to the task of leading the nation.
NBC News watched a total of 19 debates Biden and Trump participated in, looking for their shared strategies, their standards and how they handled difficult moments.
Here’s a look at the key themes to get an idea of what to expect tonight →
Stay informed tonight of a special edition of the newsletter after the debate
Watch your inbox tonight for a special edition of From the Politics Desk newsletter, where we’ll recap and analyze the first 2024 debate between Biden and Trump.
The 90-minute event, hosted by CNN and simulcast on NBC News NOW, begins at 9 p.m. ET. Follow all the action on our live blog.
That’s all from the Politics Desk for now. If you have any feedback — likes or dislikes — please email us at politicsnieuwsbrief@nbcuni.com
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This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
