As the deadline for the presidential debate between Joe Biden and Donald Trump draws closer, the images of preparation that emerge offer a captivating insight into the strategies and dynamics at play. On one side, we have Joe Biden, isolating himself in a mountain refuge with a tight circle of advisors, poring over briefing files, refining his attacks and preparing to face personal attacks. On the other hand, Donald Trump is working with potential vice-presidential candidates, refining his policy lines while trying to rein in his explosive rhetoric.
Both candidates’ teams outline similar goals for this crucial debate hosted by CNN in Atlanta. It is about portraying the adversary as incapable of managing the country and entirely unfit to occupy the Oval Office. The stakes are high for these two men who have been at each other verbally for the past four years, and they are fully aware of it. Each side prepares by formulating attacks, crafting responses and presenting the crucial choice in November’s election.
In recent weeks, both teams have worked hard to refine their messaging on a variety of topics, from the economy to foreign affairs to their rival’s ability to lead. Each of the teams has been somewhat distracted, whether by the criminal trial that has consumed Trump’s spring or by the extensive foreign travel and painful legal vicissitudes of Biden’s family.
However, the similarities mainly end there. How each man prepares for the debate is ultimately a reflection of their differences as candidates, and each will enter the CNN studio with divergent goals.
In preparation sessions that have already begun, Biden is focused on how to hold Trump accountable on stage during the debate, reflecting the broader political strategy the White House and campaign have been rolling out for months.
“The president has been increasingly incisive in his recent statements about Trump and plans to continue that theme during the debate,” a Biden campaign official said.
After months of suggesting that the American electorate was disinterested in the 2024 race, the Biden camp sees the debate as a starting point and an opportunity to present their studies on the contrasts between the candidates in front of a new and engaged audience.
For his part, Trump aims to reassure voters that he can be a more stable and effective leader than his successor, despite the legal problems plaguing him and a deeply divided approach to politics.
Some of his debate preparation focused less on policy and more on rhetoric. Trump has previously struggled in policy debates, preferring instead to wander and generalize, especially without a teleprompter. He has also been quick to display aggression in past debates, including interrupting his opponents and attacking moderators, actions that have stuck with viewers in the months since.
To prepare, Biden is gathering trusted advisers this week and next week at Camp David, the presidential mountain retreat, for several days of intensive discussions and preparation. Setting up isolated rustic lodges in Maryland helped focus Biden and his team before important moments such as the State of the Union addresses.
Preparations will evolve over several days, moving from informal discussions of topics, questions and potential answers to more formal 90-minute mock debates. The president will likely be fueled by his favorite drink, orange Gatorade. (CNN debate rules state that each candidate will have a pen, notepad and bottle of water at the lectern.)
The White House is considering the possibility of the president and his team flying directly to Atlanta from Camp David, depending on the amount of practice remaining.
Advisors compiled binders of questions, with possible answers to each, on a wide range of topics for the president to peruse. Biden, four years ago, is said to have provided detailed feedback on every anticipated topic, sometimes rejecting some suggestions. At other times, he pushed his advisors to delve deeper into a topic or phrase a response differently.
Ron Klain, Biden’s former chief of staff, is responsible for helping the president prepare to debate Trump, a Biden campaign official told CNN. In addition to knowing and working for Biden for decades, Klain is the party’s most experienced debate coach, having worked with Democratic candidates in nearly every presidential race over the past three decades.
Bruce Reed, another longtime adviser currently serving as Biden’s deputy chief of staff, is tasked with sifting through reams of documents and hours of Trump’s past appearances to inform practice sessions. Earlier this year, Reed led the process of compiling the political substance and rhetorical brilliance that became Biden’s arguments.
In sum, as the two candidates prepare to face off on the presidential debate stage, footage of their preparation processes offers fascinating angles on their distinct approaches, strategies, and goals. The whole world eagerly awaits this high-flying political spectacle that will perhaps shape the course of American political history.