There’s a fair probability that Thursday night’s presidential debate in Atlanta between Joe Biden and Donald Trump will go down in US history as the most consequential one. A sitting president and an ex-president will square off in front of millions of spectators for the first time. This confrontation will happen far sooner than usual, even before the party conventions. Only in the context of the extraordinary politics of this era can the significance of this discussion be properly appreciated. Ever since Vice President Richard Nixon and Senator John F. Kennedy hosted the first-ever televised debate during the 1960 campaign, the nation has seen excruciatingly close elections that have drastically changed the course of history. However, the stakes in 2024 are higher than ever due to Trump’s attempt to sabotage the orderly handover of power by citing fabricated allegations of electoral fraud in 2020 and his vow, should he win in November, to carry out a never-before-seen presidential campaign of personal vengeance. There would have been a huge political shift if Sen. John Kerry had defeated President George W. Bush in 2004 or if former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney had forced President Barack Obama to serve only one term in office in 2012. However, the republic’s nature and its position in the world would not have changed significantly. It is impossible to apply such assurance to the current election with any degree of certainty. A second term under Trump might be extremely disruptive due to his strongman instincts, which are exemplified by his assertion before the Supreme Court that presidents have virtually infinite power and by his blueprint for strict new immigration, economic, and foreign policy policies.

There is a lot of pressure on both candidates

Both candidates will be hoping to steer clear of the kind of awkward moments or strange personal traits that have frequently gone viral and dominated critical post-debate media coverage, which contributes to voters’ preconceived notions about who won and who lost. Theatrical sighs from Vice President Al Gore in 2000 and a foolish look at the watch from President George H.W. Bush in 1992 both come to represent unsuccessful campaigns. Thanks to social media, the threats have significantly increased. The outcome of the presidential debates does not guarantee the winner in November. However, there is a noticeable sense of unease over the June date of this year’s first debate as opposed to the customary September or October.
Aaron Kall, head of debate at the University of Michigan, who has closely examined each presidential debate, stated that “the closer the election, the greater the chance that a debate could influence it.” The majority of the time, these errors serve to validate preexisting caricatures of the specific candidates. That means no senior moments for Biden, and Trump would be well advised to refrain from any statements that would lend credence to his portrayal of a tyrant-in-waiting. Since their final debate during the pandemic-affected 2020 campaign, neither Trump nor Biden have engaged in a debate. Additionally, their political identities and temperament have been reflected in how they prepared for one of the most significant nights of their life.

Getting ready for whatever at Camp David

Former White House Chief of Staff Ron Klain, who has spent a generation preparing Democrats for presidential debates, is in charge of Biden’s debate team. “You can lose a debate at any time, but you can only win it in the first half hour” is one of Klain’s catchphrases. To capitalize on what is probably going to be the best-rated segment of the primetime event, Biden is anticipated to provide the most crucial issues first. To prepare for any questions that Trump and the moderators might pose to Biden, the Biden team has been meticulously going over his most recent speeches and interviews in public. Whatever version of Trump emerges, the president will be prepared, whether it’s the blustery rival who insulted and talked over him during their first meeting in 2020, or a more subdued opponent looking to convey stability. Should Trump seek to project a presidential demeanor, Biden possesses an arsenal of rehearsed assaults and counterattacks aimed at inciting him to make the kind of gaffes that might alienate voters.
A Biden advisor informed CNN that the president has been preparing for the discussion by being ready to react in case Trump becomes personal, even after his son Hunter was found guilty of felonies related to firearms. When the then-president brought up Hunter during their first debate in 2020, Biden reacted angrily, displaying his innate love and protective instinct for his family.

Trump is as unconventional as his debate preparation

Presidents in office frequently experience a rude awakening during their first presidential debate since they are not used to having their opinions challenged. However, Trump’s lead on this point might be jeopardized because he declined to participate in this year’s GOP primary debates. However, there isn’t much of a difference between his combative debate technique and the belligerent, prickly attitude he exhibits on most public occasions. As his aides have hurriedly attempted to break the expectations trap the former president set for himself by implying that Biden is so mentally debilitated that he can barely stand up or finish a sentence, Trump has warmed up for the debate by implying that Biden will be “jacked up” on drugs. It would be unimaginable for a candidate to accuse an opponent of doping in any other era. However, Trump’s approach serves as a reminder of an administration and a political philosophy that has upended all prior conventions.
Trump’s campaign hinted that the former president would criticize Biden on immigration and the economy in a fresh document released on Wednesday. It made much of the polling averages that, according to his staff, show the former president leading in all the important states. Furthermore, Trump, whose administration unleashed a torrent of daily lies, proceeded to accuse Biden of the very offense that most people connect with him: lying. In a post on Truth Social, Trump called Biden “a walking lying machine and a fact-checker’s dream” and said that the top presidential golfer couldn’t hit a ball more than ten yards.