Here’s How Trump Handed Biden A Critical Advantage In The Debates

Topline

President Trump on Sunday repeated his call for drug testing before the first presidential debate on Tuesday as part of a broader pattern of him lowering expectations for Biden, which could ultimately prove detrimental to Trump.

Key Facts

Key Background

Presidential campaigns have long had a practice of raising debate expectations for their opponents. Ahead of the 2012 vice presidential debate between the then-70 year old Biden and 42 year old Paul Ryan, for example, a Romney campaign aide pitched Biden’s reputation for gaffes as a potential strength, telling Real Clear Politics, “[Biden] is a very charming man, and you always have to kind of think about that charm and the potential for an ‘Irish uncle’ moment.” However, the impact of debates on polling has diminished in recent cycles.

Crucial Quote

“In trying to message that Biden may be unfit for office, the campaign also may have lowered expectations on his debate performance,” Republican strategist and candidate debate coach Brett O’Donnell told the New York Times. Karl Rove, former President George W. Bush’s chief strategist, told the Times that it would “maybe” benefit Biden.

Big Number

71%. That’s the share of Americans who said in an NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll the debates will not matter much to their vote in November, with 44% saying it will not matter at all, a record high since 2000. Still, that leaves 29% who say the debates are quite or extremely important to their votes in a race that will likely be decided by a considerably smaller margin.

What To Watch For

Fox News Host Chris Wallace will moderate the first debate on Sept. 29 in Cleveland, Ohio, C-SPAN political editor Steve Scully will moderate the second on Oct. 15 in Miami, Florida, and NBC News White House correspondent Kristen Welker will moderate the third on Oct. 22 in Nashville, Tennessee. The vice presidential debate will take place on Oct. 7 in Salt Lake City, Utah and will be moderated by USA Today Washington Bureau Chief Susan Page.