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Donald Trump and Joe Biden will share the stage Tuesday night in a live debate in Cleveland, Ohio, the first of three clashes before the November presidential election.
Presidential debates have historically been events of great importance. Four years ago, more than 80 million Americans watched Trump’s first meeting with Hillary Clinton. This year, the Trump-Biden contest could be more important, as the coronavirus has limited the ability of candidates to campaign in person.
While most voters have made up their minds, Americans in many states have already started voting early by mail or in person, candidates will present their case to those still on the fence.
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The 74-year-old Trump has questioned Biden’s suitability for the job and has even asked that the 77-year-old former vice president take a drug test. Biden, who can be prone to errors and wordy responses, will need to back off with a focused performance.
At the same time, the president will be vulnerable to attacks on his record in the White House and before he takes office. A New York Times The weekend’s report revealed that the president paid just $ 750 of federal income tax in 2016 and 2017.
The 90-minute debate, which begins at 9 p.m. ET on Tuesday, will be moderated by Chris Wallace, a longtime Fox News host. Here are five things to keep in mind.
Supreme Court
Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s death shook the campaign after the president made it clear that he intended to fill the vacancy on the Supreme Court as soon as possible.
Trump over the weekend named Amy Coney Barrett, a 48-year-old federal judge and protégé of the late Conservative Justice Antonin Scalia, as his pick.
While Judge Barrett’s appointment was seen as a victory for Trump’s conservative base, and her confirmation is almost certain in the Republican-controlled Senate, Democrats hope to use her nomination to win over wavering voters.
So far, Biden has focused his attacks on the threat that Judge Barrett poses to the Affordable Care Act, or “Obamacare,” which protects Americans from being denied health insurance due to pre-existing conditions. The Supreme Court is ready to hear a Republican-led case seeking to eliminate the ACA just days after the November election.
Expect Biden to also accuse Trump of being a hypocrite in nominating Judge Barrett so close to the election. In 2016, the Republican-controlled Senate refused to consider Obama’s nominee when Scalia died.
Family matters
Trump has never been known to take action, and Biden’s campaign has been bracing for an onslaught of personal attacks Tuesday.
The president is reportedly keen to focus on the Democrat’s son, Hunter Biden, a recovered drug addict whose overseas dealings were largely featured in last year’s impeachment inquiry. Trump asked the Ukrainian president to investigate Hunter Biden’s deals in the country, a move that Democrats said was an abuse of power.
The former vice president is known to be fiercely defensive of his family and has at times criticized opponents who criticize them. His campaign team hopes they can stay calm Tuesday.
COVID-19
Biden has tried to focus the campaign on Trump’s handling of the pandemic. A recent ABC News-Washington Post The poll found that 58 percent of Americans disapprove of the president’s leadership in the crisis, which is one of the top reasons Biden has a 10-point lead nationally, according to the poll.
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Trump has tried to fight back, blaming China for the spread of the virus and claiming that his government has done an incomparable job in curbing the virus. In contradiction to most medical experts, the president has said a vaccine is likely to be released before the election, with enough doses to inoculate all Americans in April.
Expect Biden to punch the president for his lack of empathy and accuse him of politicizing the vaccine. Trump could target Biden for his call for a national mask term, a policy the president claims affects personal freedoms.
Law and order
After George Floyd’s murder by police and subsequent protests, Trump’s campaign has focused on the issue of law and order, claiming that a Biden presidency would destroy America’s suburbs and throw the country into violent chaos.
The president has repeatedly criticized local Democrats’ handling of protests that have turned violent in places like Kenosha, Wisconsin and Portland, Oregon.
The Trump campaign has also claimed that the Biden campaign is a Trojan horse for the “radical left” that would push for extreme policies such as defunding the police.
Biden has condemned the looting and violence, insisted he would not deprive the police of funds and attacked the president for not doing more to defend people of color. Both are likely to stick with their earlier attacks as Trump attempts to corner Biden into defending the more violent aspects of the protests.
Election integrity
Trump has repeatedly refused to say that he will accept the results of the November election or commit to a peaceful transfer of power if he loses.
Four years ago, when Wallace first asked him the question, Trump also refused to give a firm answer. He is likely to stand his ground, claiming that he cannot lose the election unless there is massive electoral fraud. His own FBI director and other election experts have dismissed the idea that voter fraud could influence elections.
Biden is likely to reject his own arguments in favor of voting by mail, particularly during the pandemic.
Biden is likely to repeat his promise to accept the final vote result after all the ballots have been counted. However, the Democratic candidate has also cast doubt on the electoral process, saying that the president is indirectly trying to “steal” the election.
