A look into Joe Biden’s preparation as he takes on Donald Trump at high-stakes presidential debate

ANNAPOLIS, MARYLAND: President Joe Biden is entrenched in an intense five-day debate camp at Camp David, gearing up for a high-stakes showdown with his longtime rival, former President Donald Trump.

The televised debate is scheduled for Thursday, June 27, and is expected to be a pivotal moment in the lead up to the election rematch between the two leaders in November.

The debate preparation is shrouded in secrecy, with Biden's longtime personal lawyer, Bob Bauer, once again stepping into the role of Trump for the mock debates - a role he successfully played during the 2020 debates.

Bob Bauer reveals more about his mock Trump role

Bauer’s task is no small feat. He must emulate Trump's combative and often unpredictable debating style, which includes goading, insulting, and interrupting. In his book, 'The Unraveling,' Bauer detailed the extensive preparation required to effectively play Trump.

"I as Donald Trump, played my part lying and blustering and bullying my way through the mock sessions," he wrote in his book 'The Unraveling'. "To prepare, I watched hours of tapes of the 45th president, as a businessman, 2016 candidate, and then in office."

"We set aside special sessions during which I was expected to be at my Trump-worst - as personally insulting and unhinged as Trump can be. The first rule, which is particularly important with Trump, is that he can't hold back in going after Biden in the nastiest possible way," Bauer told Politico.

"You cannot be afraid of laying down on the table something that your candidate that you're preparing this for won't like. That could be something that's personally insulting. That's something that can be completely false about policy positions they've taken," he added.

Reflecting on past debate preparations, Bauer noted the importance of focusing on actual arguments the opposing candidate might use. He admitted to a significant mistake in the 2020 preparations when he had Trump call for the overturning of Roe v Wade, a stance Trump hadn't explicitly taken by that time.

"That was a mistake. You want to avoid those kinds of mistakes because you don't want the candidate preparing for an argument that the candidate is not going to hear," he said.

Biden’s aides have stressed the need to hold Trump accountable for his role in the eventual overturning of Roe v Wade.

While some past candidates have had their Trump double actually dress up as him, Bauer avoided doing the same. "This is not a 'Saturday Night Live' impression. You don't want to detract from the serious business of prepping the candidate," he said.

Joe Biden's debate strategy and challenges he faces

One of the bigger challenges for Biden in the upcoming debate will be avoiding the temptation to engage in a slanging match with Trump. Bill Russo, a Biden 2020 campaign aide, stressed the importance of calling out Trump's mistruths without getting sucked into his combative style.

"The big challenge here is how do you make sure to call out the mistruths, the lies, the half-truths that you can expect Trump's going to be dishing out but without getting pulled into just playing on Trump's turf," Russo told the Wall Street Journal.

In contrast, Faiz Shakir, Bernie Sanders' 2020 campaign manager, suggested that Biden might benefit from strategically pushing Trump's buttons to provoke a response that could alienate voters.

"With the right prompting, Trump would offend, upset, and annoy the vast majority of Americans who already voted against him," Shakir predicted.

Some insiders have voiced concerns about the reliance on familiar strategies and personnel, suggesting that Biden’s team might be playing it too safe. "It's no surprise that Bauer is in prep again with most of the other usual suspects. Biden likes to have his security blanket around him," an unnamed source told the New York Post.

"This team knows how to handle him and how he wants to be handled for these exercises," they continued. "Will they run debate prep like a Bravo reality TV show? Because they should. Will they be innovative and creative enough in prep to coach him to expect the unexpected and the unconventional? That's all that matters."

The insider noted that despite Biden's past debate experience, he needed to be creative this year. "He'll be ready to spar over both of their records. But can the old dog be taught new tricks? Does Bob have the tricks and tools to teach a debate against such an unpredictable opponent?" the source asked.

Former White House chief of staff Ron Klain, who now works for Airbnb, will oversee Biden’s debate preparations. Klain’s extensive experience in debate prep, spanning four election cycles, is expected to be a crucial asset for Biden.

High-stakes presidential debate

The debate, to be held in Atlanta and televised on CNN, is expected to draw significant viewership, reminiscent of the first debate in 2020, which attracted about 73 million viewers. Biden will aim to hold Trump accountable for his record while maintaining a focus on punchy, effective messaging.

Trump, known for his relentless rhetoric, has been crafting new catchphrases and arguments to target Biden. Interestingly, Trump is not expected to engage in mock debate sessions involving a Biden stand-in, choosing instead to rely on his natural debate instincts.

The upcoming debate marks the first time Biden and Trump will share a stage since their final presidential debate on October 15, 2020. Biden’s team is downplaying expectations, citing the president's busy schedule and limited time for preparation.

A campaign official told the Daily Mail, "The president will have less time for debate prep than 4 years ago given his day job, so prep will largely be confined to immediately prior."

Biden has recently returned from a hectic travel schedule, including a five-day visit to France for the 80th anniversary of D-Day, a state visit to Italy for the G7 conference, and a weekend of fundraising on the West Coast.

The debate will last 90 minutes, with two commercial breaks. Biden will have the first word, and Trump will have the last.

Biden’s strategy will focus on attacking Trump for "ripping away reproductive rights, promoting political violence, undermining our democratic institutions, and doing the bidding of his billionaire donors to fund tax giveaways to the ultra-wealthy and corporations by hurting seniors and the middle class," according to a campaign official.

Trump is likely to counter by targeting Biden’s son, Hunter, who was recently convicted on three felony charges related to a 2018 gun purchase.