(RepublicanNews.org) – As the two major party nominees are set to face off in two debates before November’s general election, President Joe Biden made a specific demand that would take away a clear advantage for former President Donald Trump.
On Wednesday, May 15th, it was announced that two debates would take place between Biden and Trump before the voters take to the polls in autumn. And those debates will not happen before an audience, which some staffers say was deliberate.
Everywhere Trump goes, he draws massive crowds – audiences substantially larger than any Biden seems capable of attracting – and his campaign advisers noticed. When negotiating how and when the debates would take place, the president’s team made it one of the conditions that no audience would be present at the TV studio during the face-off.
One adviser, who would only speak anonymously, told reporters that the former president “feeds off the crowd,” who “give him life.” The adviser said Biden’s campaign “wanted to take that away” from Trump.
Other conditions Biden’s campaign felt were necessary are that at least one of the debates should happen before early voting starts and that the debates should be hosted by outlets that don’t lean towards Trump ideologically. The agreed-upon dates are June 27th and Sept. 10th, and the forums will be hosted by CNN and ABC, networks that not only don’t lean toward Trump but are typically biased toward him.
CNN’s Jake Tapper, who will be one of the first debate’s moderators, has a long history of hostile reporting against the former president, including a hand in pushing the “Russiagate” conspiracy theory during Trump’s time in office.
The aides said the campaign is aware of Trump’s “bullying” tactics that he could use to stir up a crowd and want to deprive him of that opportunity. Regardless, they also privately acknowledged to reporters that even without an audience in-house, the debate could still flop for Biden. Considering the number of gaffes Biden is known for on stage, many are surprised the Democrats are even allowing debates to happen at all.
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