Republicans are advising Trump not to be himself, as they are worried about their felon nominee self-destructing on the debate stage with President Biden.
One reason the idea of “self-destruction” at a debate looms so large among the upper ranks of Trumpworld is because many of them believe it happened to Trump in late 2020. And they’re determined to help him keep it from happening again, with his potential second administration (and his freedom from possibly an actual prison sentence) on the line. Various Republicans close to the former president have been counseling him for weeks with a message that boils down to a more diplomatic version of the following: Please be less of yourself at the June debate, for the love of God.
One Republican who has recently advised Trump on the 2024 debate prep paraphrased their advice to the ex-president as: “Don’t be a raging a*shole while you’re on stage with Biden,” and “don’t take the bait” from the sitting president.
The odds are high that Donald Trump will not be able to contain himself. The worst advice that the people around him could possibly utter out loud is to tell him to behave like a normal human being. Since Trump was told to be normal, and I am convinced that he has no idea what normal is, he will likely respond by turning into a raving lunatic within the first thirty minutes of the debate.
If Biden really wanted to get under Trump’s skin, he could mention Michael Cohen or Stormy Daniels, and if he wanted Trump to completely implode, throw E. Jean Carroll’s name in an answer somewhere. Mentioning E. Jean Carroll would not only likely cause Trump to lose it but would also come with the added bonus of possibly getting the ex-president sued for defamation again.
Some in the media will always be fooled if Trump uses his inside, disinterested, monotone voice during the debate. The odds of Trump holding it together are slim.
The question isn’t will Trump keep it together, but how long will it take for him to go off the rails.
Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements. Awards and Professional Memberships Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association