Despite spending millions on advertising, President Biden is still trailing in the polls. Even Donald Trump’s criminal trial has not shaken the course of the race. Biden’s campaign recently proposed moving up the first presidential debate in an attempt to engage voters earlier and highlight the importance of the 2024 election. By accelerating the debate timeline, Biden hopes to remind voters of the possibility of a Trump-Biden rematch, boosting his approval ratings. This move also helps limit the risk of having an 81-year-old president onstage for 90 minutes, as Biden agreed to only two debates instead of the usual three.
Both Biden and Trump swiftly agreed to the proposed debate schedule, with the first debate set for June 27 and the second on September 10. This agreement came after back-channel discussions between campaign officials and a mutual desire to bypass the Commission on Presidential Debates and focus solely on the two major-party candidates. With early debates, both candidates have time to recover from poor performances and script their final campaign efforts. Trump has ridiculed Biden’s debate skills and mental acuity, but Biden has historically performed well when expectations are low, as seen in the 2020 debates and State of the Union addresses.
Presidential debates are crucial events in American politics, drawing millions of viewers and shaping public opinion. Despite unpopularity, both candidates are gearing up for the debates, with Biden adopting a more confrontational approach towards Trump. The Biden team believes that once voters are reminded of Trump’s record in office, especially on key issues like democracy and abortion rights, Biden’s standing in the polls will improve. Trump has spent months questioning Biden’s ability to debate, but some allies have expressed regret for underestimating Biden in the past.
Biden’s challenge to Trump to an earlier debate was received with arrogance and bravado, reminiscent of Trump’s rhetoric. Biden’s campaign began selling T-shirts mocking Trump’s legal troubles, departing from Biden’s usual stance of not commenting on Trump’s issues. The decision to opt-out of the debate commission is not surprising, given Trump’s willingness to debate with or without the commission and Biden’s team’s frustration with the handling of the 2020 debates. The bipartisan call for an overhaul of the debate commission adds to the reasoning behind this decision.
