From TNR: Trump Races to Change Debate Rules ...
... before he has to debate Kamala Harris, who is going to eat him alive.
Looks a tad old … and worried. As well he should be.
https://newrepublic.com/post/184090/trump-desperate-move-terrified-kamala-harris-debate
Now that Joe Biden has withdrawn from the presidential race and endorsed Kamala Harris, Donald Trump wants to change the terms of the next debate.
The Trump and Biden campaigns had agreed to two presidential debates back in May: one on June 27 hosted by CNN and one on September 10 hosted by ABC News. Biden’s horrendous performance in the first debate created a groundswell of opposition that eventually led to his stepping down. But now, Trump is apparently worried enough about Harris to think things should change.
“My debate with Crooked Joe Biden, the Worst President in the history of the United States, was slated to be broadcast on Fake News ABC, the home of George Slopadopolus, sometime in September,” Trump ranted on Truth Social Sunday night. “Now that Joe has, not surprisingly, has quit the race, I think the Debate, with whomever the Radical Left Democrats choose, should be held on FoxNews, rather than very biased ABC. Thank you! DJT”
Trump also complained about being “forced to spend time and money on fighting Crooked Joe Biden.”
“Shouldn’t the Republican Party be reimbursed for fraud in that everybody around Joe, including his doctors and the Fake News Media, knew he was not capable of running for, or being, President? Just askin’?” Trump lamented.
It’s pretty clear that the former president and convicted felon is spooked by having to run against Harris, enough that…
Trump wants the next debate to be moved to his home turf, the conservative P.R. channel Fox News.
It’s no secret that Trump and his campaign preferred Biden as their opponent, even creating legal plans to prevent Democrats from replacing him on the ticket.
But Trump and the GOP don’t have the “dementia patient,” as Republican operatives have described Biden, to kick around anymore. They’re scared enough of Harris to try to give Trump the advantage of a friendlier debate venue. And perhaps they should be scared: Harris has already given the Democratic Party its biggest fundraising day in years.
1) I think neither ABC nor Fix--and certainly not CNN or NBC should be the platforms for debate. Experience shows none of them up to the challenges: their anchors are way to Trump-oriented and and unfairly targeted just Biden s cognitive issues, did not ask Trump directly why he should get a pass for his own considerable cognitive and "sleeping" issues in public,* and did no live fact checking.
2)I'd go with either a non- partisan "League of women voters"-type group as sponsor or maybe even as non-political a state university --Indiana?--as possible with neutral Professors whose specialties are not politics or history, such as "contracts". Who says the questioners must be TV anchors whose bosses are overwhelmingly GOP.
3. Trump is already saying "No" to debating Kamala Harris. If I were her I'd start pouncing and taunting him for being scared to debate her.
4. I also would do the following if he truly doesn't want to debate: set up a virtual debate with questioners & Kamala on the stage with a Trump stand-in in the form of an actor ** not pretending to answer 'style-wise', but to answer with Trump's own substance from prior rallies, debates, interviews-- such as with Chris Mathews with Trump telling him that women have to be punished for having abortion s--position papers, Project 2025, etc. ** Can't use a hologram: Trump would sue for using his likeness without permission.
If Trump has a history of answering the questions in the past with flip-flopping answers, I'd point that out. I'd still fact check everything. I'd also publish a concurrent booklet documenting the source of his answers.declaimed by the actor.
Now I know who you mean. I think DJT, Jr. is her Dad, but I share the shudders.