At 8 p.m. ET, Trump is preparing to take voters’ questions on NBC. Biden will do the same on ABC at the same time. The Trump Town Hall runs an hour; Biden lasts 90 minutes.
He was confirmed by the commission on presidential discussions after Biden and Trump canceled a town hall-style discussion held Thursday night following Trump’s coronavirus diagnosis. The Commission attempted to convert that discussion into a virtual format; Trump rejected the change.
Instead of having the opportunity to see two candidates on stage together, the audience will have to choose one or the other.
Here’s what to look for in Thursday Night’s Dueling Town Hall:
Trump and the virus
The president’s town hall with NBC News will be the first to be pressed on its length and not on a friendly rookie outlet about his personal feud with the virus that has reshaped his re-election bid.
Trump has made several dubious claims about recovering from the virus, claiming that the experimental drug cocktail made by Regeneron that he found was a “cure” for the virus, although there is no data to suggest this. The president has also claimed to be immune to the virus, although studies have shown that re-infection is possible and doctors say it is not clear how much immunity people have after recovering from the infection.
How the president mediates and handles voters’ proposed questions about the virus will likely determine how successful he is in the format, as well as how his answers deal with Americans dealing with the American epidemic.
The virus is the most important issue on the minds of Americans right now, according to several voters and interviews with voters across the country, and Trump’s handling of the epidemic has proved to be a weight on his re-election bid.
Biden and Trump weighed in on Capitol Hill’s excitement fight
The U.S. economy is in shambles with covid fuels. Americans are waiting in the food line. States are falling further into the budget hole. But Congress has responded – well, not a single one has happened in a while.
Both Trump, who has sent mixed signals on stimulus talks, and Biden, who has firmly left to weigh, will likely take action on what should happen next.
The House Democrats passed a 2. 2.2 trillion relief package earlier this month. But there is no change in that GOP-controlled Senate. Trump, meanwhile, had earlier tweeted that “negotiations are closed” after the election, before being quickly elected and challenging his party. By Tuesday his message was, “Excitement! Grow up or go home !!!” It is now backing a 8 1.8 trillion deal.
Question for Trump: Which statement is operative on Thursday?
Question for Biden: Whose side does he take? So far he has only criticized Trump as “reckless” and inconsistent.
Supreme Court and health care
For anyone watching more than a few minutes of Democratic senators asking Supreme Court nominee Amy Connie Barrett, the party’s strategy should be very clear: Assure the public that its endorsement vote is the same as the referendum on Obamacare.
Barrett has not officially weighed in on the legality or the case that could strike him – which is due to be heard a week after the election – but Democrats are arguing that Trump’s opposition is evidence that she is his choice, not just that. Will.
While Barrett has kept mom at bay, Trump’s all is well known.
On Thursday, he will probably be asked if he expects Barrett, if confirmed, to vote to kill Obamacare. She could also create a sticky situation for the nominee unless she requests ignorance, who has said she has not discussed the case with the president. It’s hard to imagine that Trump’s comments aren’t the cause of the uproar.
As for Biden, it’s good to keep hammering in the party line. However this conversation will lead him into some waters which he has sought to avoid: court packing.
Questions Biden is ducked
For two weeks, Biden has refused to give a clear, detailed answer to the question of whether he will support the progressive pressure to add seats to the Supreme Court, where Barrett’s confirmation could soon give a Rs.
Biden’s political calculations are clear: the polls show he is ahead of Trump; He benefits from the status quo and could be hurt by rounds of headlines allowing him to take a position that either removes the progressives or gives a fresh start to attacking Trump.
Biden has admitted in recent days that he is trying to run the clock on the question of court-packing. Voters will “know my opinion on court-packing when the election is over,” he told reporters in Arizona last week.
Another question he has not answered directly is whether he will try to break the Senate’s 60-vote threshold to break the filibuster. Trump seems small compared to questions he refuses to answer – such as what is involved in his long-promised health care plan and what his tax returns show – but is important to liberals who believe Senate Republicans spend years stacking up. . The deck against Democrats procedurally makes it difficult to formulate new policies under the Democratic-led Congress and prevents the courts from attacking them.
The former vice president has not faced constant questioning on the issue of what could happen in the town hall format on Thursday night.
The clock is ticking
Trump is holding Biden back and time is running out.
This is the biggest issue for the president right now and, with about 20 days left in the campaign, the number of opportunities he has to make voters final is dwindling.
Thursday’s townhall is likely to be viewed by millions – offering Trump the necessary platform – but the general election debate with Biden, which would have aired on all networks, would have provided the president, with part of the audience almost pale. The first discussion between the two men was watched by more than 73 million Americans.
With only one more discussion taking place in the final weekend of the election, the lack of high-profile events increases the pressure on town halls like NBC and ABC events.
However the reality is that since Trump is going backwards, he needs these events more than Biden.
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