President Biden and former President Trump appear to be taking very different approaches in preparing for the first election Presidential debates By 2024.
The debate began, after a war of words After debate last month over a potential on-stage confrontation between the two, Atlanta is set to vote next Thursday, much earlier than in any previous election cycle.
Trump has so far avoided any mock debates with his team and has focused more on meeting his close aides and campaigning. Meanwhile, Biden has opted to keep himself quiet in the days ahead of the historic confrontation by preparing with his advisers at Camp David.
President Biden (left) and former President Trump. (Win McNamee/Getty Images/Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)
Trump has been gathering for private meetings with Republican allies in recent weeks as he awaits the debate, including some who are running for him. Vice Presidential CandidateSources told Fox News Digital that he held meetings with senators and other policy experts. His campaign described these meetings as “policy discussions.”
One of the contenders for the vice presidential candidate, Senator J.D. Vance The Ohio mayor met with Trump and members of his staff earlier this month at the former president’s Mar-a-Lago club and residence in Palm Beach, Florida. Sources familiar with the meeting confirmed the meeting and said the session focused on messaging for the debate on the economy and how to target Biden over inflation.
Trump also participated in another policy discussion during his one-day visit to the national capital last week, where he held a meeting behind closed doors. Senator Marco Rubio Also included are Senator David Schmidt of Florida, another potential vice-presidential candidate, and first-term Senator Eric Schmidt of Missouri.
Trump’s co-campaign managers Susie Wiles and Chris LaCivita, veterans of the political world, also joined the session to discuss how to handle potential debate questions on the January 6, 2021, protest by the former president’s supporters at the US Capitol, aimed at disrupting Congress’ certification of Biden’s 2020 election victory.
Biden holds big lead with key voting group ahead of first debate with Trump: Survey
Republican Senator J.D. Vance of Ohio speaks to members of the media outside the Manhattan Criminal Courthouse on Monday, May 13, 2024 in New York City. (Victor J. Blue/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Trump has also held policy discussions with senior advisers Kellyanne Conway and Stephen Miller and former acting Director of National Intelligence Richard Grenell. However, none of the sessions to date have included a mock debate, a change from 2020 when former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie played Biden to prepare Trump for the general election debates.
Senior adviser Jason Miller told Fox News Digital when asked why Trump hasn’t yet done a traditional mock debate. “President Trump gives multiple tough interviews each week and stands up and speaks at long rallies, which shows his stamina. He doesn’t need to be programmed by staff or injected with chemicals like Joe Biden,” he said.
Trump has demanded that both candidates be drug tested before the debate.
Trump will hold a rally in the battleground state of Pennsylvania on Saturday, while Biden will be busy with intense preparations at Camp David over the weekend and into next week.
Biden’s former chief of staff, Ron KleinA campaign official told Fox News Digital that he, along with other senior campaign aides and long-term advisers, is leading preparations for the presidential debates.
Former White House Chief of Staff Ron Klain. (Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
The official said their sessions would focus on ways to hold Trump “accountable for his extremist record and the dangerous things he said during the campaign,” including “eroding reproductive rights, inciting political violence, undermining our democratic institutions, and working at the behest of his billionaire donors to give tax breaks to the ultra-wealthy and corporations at the expense of seniors and the middle class.”
The official said that given the president’s “work schedule,” he will have less time to prepare than he did four years ago, so preparations will be mainly limited to just before the debate.
“The president’s recent comments about Trump have become increasingly scathing, and he plans to continue this theme in the debate, while presenting himself as a wise and stable leader in contrast to Trump’s chaos and division,” the official said.
Click here to get the Fox News app
A CNN spokesperson confirmed to Fox News Digital that independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. was not eligible Despite a late effort to join his top rivals, he was unable to attend the debate.
Trump and Biden are expected to meet on the debate stage one more time before the general election in November, when ABC News holds its own debate in September.
