President Donald Trump has begun preparations for the forthcoming presidential debate against Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden , Axios reported on Sunday.
Scheduled to take place on Thursday night, the debate might be Trump’s last chance to change the trajectory of the race.
The president’s debate coaches have reportedly told him to refrain from interruptions and “try to be more likable.”
At the previous debate, Trump interrupted Biden 71 times, while Biden cut him off only 22 times.
This was not, it seems, a strategic decision because those close to Trump believe he “saved” Biden at the previous debate, by constantly interjecting, instead of letting him ramble and answer difficult questions.
Trump’s team reportedly believes that this time he should simply yield the stage to Biden, who they expect to go off on tangents, “look doddering” and “step on himself.”
According to the report, Trump’s team revisited his third debate against former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton four years ago for inspiration.
A person close to the campaign said that he has to “give people permission to vote for him.”
“He did exactly the opposite of that in the first debate. So hopefully he can right the ship in this one, because his re-election may depend on it.”
Trump is reportedly being advised to stay on message, crack jokes and “strike a softer tone,” as opposed to constantly interrupting and slamming his opponent. Still, he is expected to repeatedly attack Biden’s son, Hunter.
As reported by The Hill , during an appearance on Fox News Sunday , White House adviser Jason Miller previewed Trump’s strategy.
Miller said that the president will try to give his opponent “a little bit more room to explain himself” on key issues, such as the Supreme Court.
Similarly, during an interview with CBS, former Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus suggested that he expects Trump to be far less aggressive than last time.
“I think this upcoming debate is going to be really important, that the president is … likable, fun, have a good time. Let Joe Biden speak, and let Joe Biden defend the Obama economy,” he said.
Per The Inquisitr , some in Trump’s inner circle allegedly believe that he missed a major opportunity by refusing to debate Biden virtually and see Thursday night as his last shot at salvaging his struggling campaign.
On the trail, the president has been undisciplined, apparently choosing to launch attacks at his political opponents instead of committing to a coherent policy message.
