Staff Reports
Just when you think the political circus couldn’t get any wilder, Donald Trump shakes up his strategy for the big debate with President Joe Biden. Days before the sparring match, backed by the raving crowd of the MAGA faithful, Trump decided to tone down his usual jabs at Biden. Suddenly, the man who could barely string two sentences together is now a “worthy debater.” Clearly, Trump is not one to show all his cards too soon.
This new act of magnanimity from Trump is quite the pivot from his usual campaign trail antics, which include referring to Biden as a “low-IQ individual” and the most incompetent president in history. Trump’s followers are used to his theatrical impersonations of Biden wandering around aimlessly on stage. However, with the high-stakes debate looming, it seems Trump is out to play a different game that involves a little more finesse and a lot less name-calling…at least for now.
Trump changes tone before debate after spending months painting Biden as incompetenthttps://t.co/mR6N9PBvnp pic.twitter.com/a6UB8YB8mH
— The Washington Times (@WashTimes) June 25, 2024
Amidst this atmospheric shift, insiders suggest Trump is simply adjusting his playbook to avoid setting the bar so low that even a minor slip-up from Biden would look like a triumph. It’s a classic Trump move: adjust expectations, hedge bets, and then surprise the audience. Millions will tune in, popcorn at the ready, as both sides look to tip the scales in this unrelenting political contest. For Trump, one wrong move could mean a media frenzy, but one right move could solidify his grip on the base.
Interestingly, Trump maintains his skepticism about getting a fair shake from the moderators. CNN, the love-to-hate network in Trump circles, is set to helm the debate. Trump quipped at a Wisconsin rally that debating against CNN’s moderators feels like taking on three opponents instead of one. The recent fracas with CNN host Kasie Hunt, who abruptly cut off Trump spokesperson Karoline Leavitt for attacking Jake Tapper, adds fuel to his campaign’s accusations of media bias.
In an attempt to keep things entertaining and chaotic, Trump hasn’t entirely dropped his tactics of provoking Biden. The debate stage is likely to still feature plenty of zingers from the former president. Trump even speculated whether Biden might be partaking in some medicinal enhancements to boost his debate performance, harking back to Trump’s unverified claims during the State of the Union address. Between these outlandish predictions and attacks on the integrity of the debate moderators, Trump is ensuring his supporters are ready for both a circus and a gladiatorial showdown.
As for Biden’s campaign, they’re countering with predictable outrage, accusing Trump of fear-mongering and distractions. It’s their typical playbook: paint Trump as the ultimate boogeyman while sidestepping the gaffes and missteps of their own candidate. With battle lines drawn and the spotlight ready to shine, Thursday’s debate in Atlanta is bound to be another head-spinning chapter in the ongoing saga of American politics.
