Many Republicans and Donald Trump supporters were baffled by the presumptive Republican presidential nominee’s decision to debate his chief political rival, President Joe Biden, this coming Thursday.
The former Republican president’s momentum has been trending in the right direction for some time. Biden’s approval rating continues to dip.
Why change strategy at this point, especially when the debates — hosted by left-wing outlets CNN and ABC News — will undoubtedly be weighted in Biden’s favor?
Well, Trump gave his reasoning in an interview with the Washington Examiner on Monday and, it largely made sense.
The short version: The decision is all part of Trump’s strategy.
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The long version: Trump believes the Biden team thought — and hoped — he wouldn’t agree to a debate and would instead turn down the offer.
The former president chose to call that bluff in the most public way possible.
“What they did, I’m pretty sure, is that they approached me with a debate that I couldn’t take,” Trump said.
“Dana Bash, Jake Tapper… no audience, sitting down, originally sitting down, a dead debate, turn off the mikes when you’re not speaking so I can’t interrupt him. … They knew I wouldn’t accept that because it was CNN, Dana Bash, Jake Tapper, and I like an audience and probably he doesn’t, who knows?
Was Trump right to agree to this debate?
“So they thought they would present it, I would say no, and they would say we can’t debate because Trump said no. So I said yes before they even gave me the terms.
“So he got roped into it.”
The interview began with a startling acknowledgment on the part of Trump — the former president admitted to making a mistake.
After partially defending the fact that he interrupted Biden so many times during the first 2020 debate, Trump admitted there were “too many.”
Trump won’t be interrupting Biden as much this time… though that doesn’t mean he’ll be silent.
He’ll be doing what any good Republican should — making common sense arguments.
“It’s very hard to prepare [for debates],” Trump said. “You’ve got to know this stuff from years of doing it. And I know all the leaders, and I know what I know. It’s largely based on common sense.
“Common sense is not to allow people to come into our country by the millions if you have no idea where they’re from.”
For this election cycle’s opening debate on Wednesday, the Republican nominee is looking to avoid making the same mistake he made in 2020.
If he does so, he may land a knockout blow to a man whose administration is already on the ropes.
Regardless, we’ll all find out this week whether Republicans were right to question Trump’s eagerness to get in the ring again.
