If I were Donald Trump, I wouldn’t be optimistic about getting Joe Biden into the debate “ring.” Biden’s own Department of Justice just admitted Biden is “an elderly man with a poor memory,” and for this reason, I just don’t see him participating in any debates this time around, and if he does, it will be heavily controlled, and a once and done event. 

RedState, Adam Turner, April 18, 2024

Well, every once in a while, you get a prediction wrong. And my earlier column on debates was a little bit off.

Then again, I got it mostly right. As things stand now, there will be just two Presidential debates. This is instead of the normal three debates for a cycle, and instead of the one debate I predicted. However, like I wrote, the two debates, which will be very early in the political season (to make them easier to memory hole), will be heavily controlled, with no audience, left-wing partisans as the moderators, a controlled mic, etc.

Plus, who knows if these debates will actually take place. Biden could still cancel at the last minute, citing a Trump conviction, or some other excuse.

And we all know why Biden agreed to these debates. Bill Maher knows why Biden agreed to them. Biden is a desperate man. His polling is atrocious, and he faces six huge problems that are weighing him down, especially his senility.

It is because of Biden’s senility that the Democrat/MSM talking point that Trump is making a mistake by talking down Biden’s debate skills – violating the “expectations game” – is wrong. Biden is so obviously senile that no objective observer can possibly believe Biden is the favorite for the debate, regardless of what Trump says. As my RedState colleague Nick Arama wrote, it took Biden five edits (called “jump cuts”) in a 14 second video to even make the debate challenge. And Biden is also blocking the release of the Hur interview – not the sign of a man who is a nimble debater.

Anyway, I have some suggestions as to what President Trump should do in these debates. Below is my memo detailing them.

==================================================================

TO: President Trump
FROM: Adam Turner
RE: 10 Debate Suggestions

President Trump, we know what Biden’s debate strategy and tactics will be, thanks to crowing by the MSM. Basically, Biden wants to put you in a bad environment, with hostile moderators who control the mics and no audience to prevent you from feeding off the crowd (which may be a mistake by the Biden campaign). They also want to make you the center of the debate, attacking you “on abortion rights, (your) response to the Covid pandemic and threats to democracy.” And we can also expect plenty of other attacks based on the idea that you are the Devil himself. In other words, they are going to portray you as a man who is a corrupt and crude barbarian who abuses women and hates minorities and wants to overthrow America’s democratic society in favor of a dictatorship.

Here are 10 suggestions for your debate strategy, based partly on my own instincts and my knowledge, and also on a rewatching of the second 2020 Presidential debate (which most commentators thought you performed best in).

1. Note that Joe Biden has clearly deteriorated from the 2020 debates. This does not have to be pointed out to the audience, however. It is obvious. But he doesn’t like it, so do it anyway.
2. Note that you, Donald Trump, have a strong edge in this election going into this debate, and that Joe Biden is the desperate man who needs to go after you and pray that you are going to make a big mistake. Bring this up frequently in the debate; it will annoy him.
3. Note that you should always try to get Joe Biden off balance by attacking him on a matter that he does not expect. That is because Biden is no longer quick-witted enough to respond well.
4. Try to ask Joe Biden questions or make attacks that can’t be answered, or which there is no good response for.
5. Whenever a moderator gets involved, either to ask a biased question and/or to assist Joe Biden, put them in their place immediately, with reference to them being Democrat/left-wing hacks.
   • Be like Newt Gingrich in 2012.
   • Here is a good cinematic scene also demonstrating what your attitude should be towards this biased interference.
6. Note that this debate should focus solely on the contrast between you, Donald Trump, and Joe Biden, and your respective records as President. It is a waste of time to refer to another person, or issue, except to fit it into that comparison.
   • Exception = see No. 5 about the moderators.
7. Focus on the big wedge issues especially – Biden’s senility; the economy and inflation; the border and immigration; the Gaza situation; and Biden’s corruption.
8. Be sure to start off the debate by thanking Joe Biden for having the courage to leave his basement and join you in the debate, finally.
   • If he mentions your decision to not participate in the GOP primary debates, point out that your opponents had no chance to win the Republican primary. So, you didn’t debate them, like Biden refused to debate his hopeless primary opponents. The current debates are for the general election, and one of you will be President in 2025.
9. Possible topics that may come up in the debate, and possible responses to them, include:

• Abortion: My position on abortion is clear – it is a state issue, and the states should handle it. And if they get it wrong, the voters can replace the state politicians who vote on it. But Crooked Joe is so radical that he wants people to be able to kill babies up to the day before they are born.
• Antisemitism: I would never support Jew haters. My daughter and grandchildren are Jewish. But Crooked Joe supports Democrat Jew haters when they riot on campuses and attack Jews. A Jewish person would be crazy to support him.
• Biased Prosecutions: Crooked Joe is having me prosecuted for “retaining classified information.” But he did the exact same thing, and his Justice Department has admitted that it isn’t prosecuting him because they say he is a senile old man. So, Crooked Joe, are you conducting a phony partisan witch hunt, or are you senile?
• Border & Immigration:
  • Crooked Joe, you have let illegal aliens flood into this country for 12 years now. Your record is clear, and you can’t be trusted to protect our borders.
  • Crooked Joe, can you apologize to Ms. Riley’s family for her death at the hands of an illegal alien who your administration let into this country? And this time, can you get her name right?
• Charlottesville: Crooked Joe keeps talking about Charlotteville, where he lies about what I said. Crooked Joe, while you are busy having the FBI spy on school board parents and MAGA patriots, like they spied on me, did you ever bother to have them spy on those Charlottesville people? Who are they? And if not, why not?
• China: In the 2020 debate, Crooked Joe, you said that you would make China “play by the rules” and stop taking advantage of us. So, why is America losing the tech war with China? Why is America losing the manufacturing war to them? Why did you wait to shoot down that Chinese spy balloon? Why is China still not being punished for what they did to create COVID? How much money did your son Hunter get from China? And why didn’t Hunter pay his taxes on that money?
• Drugs: Crooked Joe, in the 2020 debate, you said the U.S. shouldn’t punish people for “pure drug offenses,” especially dealing with cocaine. Did you say that to protect your son Hunter, who we know brought cocaine to the White House?
• Economy: Crooked Joe, in the 2020 debate, you said that we needed to focus on American families, and to improve their economic conditions. So why are you promoting Bidenomics? Why are you lying about how good the economy is? It isn’t good for American families. You did that. Why are you lying about inflation? You did not inherit high inflation from me. You did that.
• Hunter Biden: Crooked Joe, in the 2020 debate, you denied that your son earned money from Ukraine and foreign enemies like Russia and China. But we know that you were lying. Why do you think those countries were paying millions to your son who snorts cocaine in the White House? Is it for his legal work, or his knowledge of drugs or strippers? Why didn’t he pay his taxes on this money?
• Impeachment: The Democrats impeached me because they said I used U.S. foreign policy for political purposes. But that phone call was perfect, and I did nothing wrong. Crooked Joe, you stopped supplying ammunition to Israel to win the votes of Democrat Jew haters. You should be impeached. And a Jewish person would be crazy to support you.
• Protecting Democracy: Crooked Joe, were you protecting democracy when you had me prosecuted in phony partisan witch hunts in federal courts and state courts? 
• Racism: I am the least racist person in this room. Meanwhile, when Crooked Joe is worried about losing, he claims his Republican opponent is a racist. He even did this to Mitt Romney, who he now pretends is his buddy.
• Russia: In the 2020 debate, you said that Russia, because it interferes with our elections, will “pay a price.” How have you made them pay a price? Are they winning, or losing, their war with the Ukraine? Didn’t they just replace us in Niger as the superpower, and aren’t they about to get the American base and our arms and equipment? Why did your family accept money from the Russians? And why didn’t Hunter pay his taxes on this money?
• World Chaos: Crooked Joe, how are you going to be able to stand up to Russia, China or Iran when you can’t speak, or walk up steps, and all you do is give them money or cave to them? And your family takes money from them. Why would they be afraid of you?

10. Your final statement is obvious:

The American people need to ask themselves some questions. Are we better off now than we were five * years ago? Is it easier for us to go and buy things in the stores than it was five years ago? Is it cheaper for us to buy gas for our cars? Is America as respected throughout the world as it was? Do we feel that we are as safe, secure, and as strong as we were five years ago? And can Joe Biden, the guy who can’t remember what he did yesterday, struggles to speak and walk, be the president who is going to take us back to those better days? The answer to all of these questions is “no.” I am the only candidate who can bring us back to where we want to go. That is why I am running — to Make America Great Again.

 President Trump, you want to channel Ronald Reagan, and 1980, when the U.S. was beset with inflation, a poor economy, and world chaos, and the incumbent Democrat President was crushed for his incompetence in the election by a conservative Republican. Using and modifying Reagan’s famous statement would guarantee attention from commentators, and the news media, and there is no good response that Joe Biden can make to this statement. 

*Note that the five years is substituted because of COVID. But Biden agrees with your decision to close down the national economy for COVID, so he can’t object to this.