As presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump gears up to go head to head with incumbent Democrat Joe Biden in an election debate, an expert has revealed how the rules for these debates will heavily benefit the Biden campaign that drafted them up.
Joe Biden invited his Republican challenger, Trump, to two upcoming debates on Wednesday. One will be held on June 27, hosted by CNN, and a second on September 10 to be hosted by ABC. Trump readily accepted the challenge, saying he’s “ready to rumble”. But unlike standard presidential election debates, these will not be held by the Commission on Presidential Debates, but instead be organised by the campaigns themselves.
As the organisation of the debates gets underway, Biden’s team have proposed several rule changes from the usual debate format. They have suggested a debate with no crowds, a way to turn off participant’s microphones to ensure they don’t exceed the allotted time, and barring third-party participants – most notably Robert F Kennedy Jr. These rule changes should give Biden a leg up over Trump, according to an expert, but it also gives Trump the opportunity to portray his opponent negatively.
READ MORE: Donald Trump and allies mocked mercilessly for filming cringe campaign ad in hush money courthouse
Joe Biden invited Donald Trump to debate him not once, but twice
Joe Biden invited Donald Trump to debate him not once, but twice
“I think that this advantages Biden,” Dr. Todd Belt, Professor and Director of Political Management at George Washington University, in Washington D.C., told the Mirror. But he warned about Trump: “He wants to be able to debate. This is what he wants. He thinks he’s going to be able to make Joe Biden look weak in a one-on-one debate. In his mind, he thinks this advantages him.”
Trump aims to throw Biden off his game, to make him look weak and play up his age. Biden, at 81 years old, isn’t exactly a spring chicken, and there have been rumours floating around about whether he’s fit for office given his frequent memory gaffes, a normal consequence of his advanced age. Some believe he has dementia.
But Trump, who is 77, isn’t young, either, and there have also been rumours that he has dementia, with a psychologist even previously telling the Mirror that he believes the former president suffers from the condition because of his behaviour in court recently as he faces his infamous hush money trial in Manhattan.
Ultimately, however, Dr Belt said Trump’s plans will be hindered by the conditions of the debates — specifically, the ability for moderators to cut off his microphone and the absence of an audience. Discussing the microphone-cutting rule, which is not yet finalised, he explained: “Trump will not be able to bully him, to talk over him like Trump likes to do.
Rules suggest by Biden’s team could prevent Trump from using his usual bullying tactics
Rules suggest by Biden’s team could prevent Trump from using his usual bullying tactics
“Trump wants to knock Biden off his game, to make him look weak, to make him look old. But with the mic being cut, he won’t be able to do that.”
He noted that in the last 2020 debate, both candidates had their mics muted if they spoke for too long, only being allowed to speak over one another at the end during the final segment. “That really helped Joe Biden because Donald Trump likes to bully the other person on the stage,” Dr Belt emphasised.
The absence of a crowd will also prevent jeering, which the Republican could have used to his advantage. At most Republican rallies, including those of Trump, jeering frequently happens as statements bashing opponents occur, which Dr Belt said can interrupt or distract speakers.
In the case of Biden and Trump, jeers from Trump’s fanbase could prevent Biden from speaking as he fights to speak over loud boos from the crowd. It will also help the candidates focus on policies instead of simple attacks on one another, which are likely to occur anyway.