{"id":2255549,"date":"2024-05-30T07:41:02","date_gmt":"2024-05-30T11:41:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/democrats-count-on-biden-bringing-state-of-the-union-performance-to-trump-debate\/"},"modified":"2024-05-30T07:42:22","modified_gmt":"2024-05-30T11:42:22","slug":"democrats-count-on-biden-bringing-state-of-the-union-performance-to-trump-debate","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/democrats-count-on-biden-bringing-state-of-the-union-performance-to-trump-debate\/","title":{"rendered":"Democrats are relying on Biden to bring the same energy to the Trump debate as he did in the State of the Union"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">46<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fdemocrats-count-on-biden-bringing-state-of-the-union-performance-to-trump-debate%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2255549&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>Summary: Democrats \u200dare optimistic about \u200dPresident\u200b Joe Biden&#8217;s \u2062debate performance \u200bfollowing a successful State of the Union address that \u2063eased concerns about his 2024 candidacy. Despite Republican critiques of his\u2064 age and mental fitness, Biden&#8217;s energetic speech has boosted Democratic confidence. The\u2063 upcoming debate may offer a chance\u200d for \u2063Biden to\u200c solidify his position\u200c and\u2064 counter expectations set by\u2064 opponents.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<div>\n<p>Democrats are banking on President <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/joe-biden\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>Joe Biden<\/a> delivering a strong debate performance next month following an expectations-defying State of the Union that eased concerns about him leading the 2024 ticket.<\/p>\n<p>Republicans have seized on the 81-year-old Biden\u2019s gaffes and forgetfulness to make the case he is mentally unfit for a second term. Those concerns were seemingly validated when, weeks before the March State of the Union, special counsel Robert Hur judged the president would come across as a \u201cwell-meaning, elderly man\u201d in his <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/doj-asks-supreme-court-to-reject-trump-request-in-fbi-classified-documents-case\/\" title=\"DOJ Asks Supreme Court to Reject Trump Request in FBI Classified Documents Case\">classified documents case<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Biden delivered an energetic, stump-style speech that helped tamp down a brewing Democratic panic. But the Biden campaign continues to be dogged by months of polling <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/white-house\/2998215\/biden-downplaying-polls-show-him-trailing-trump\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>showing him behind<\/a> in his presidential rematch with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/donald-trump\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>Donald Trump<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Biden is taking a gamble with his decision to debate the former president twice before the November election. The first debate, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/presidential\/3008393\/biden-trump-tv-brawls-what-senators-watching\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>set for June 27<\/a>, could reinforce the same narrative about his age if he does not meet the low expectations of lucidity set for him.<\/p>\n<p>However, Democrats were encouraged by his State of the Union and are counting on him to deliver a similar performance at the first debate.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe gave a great State of the Union. He knocked it out of the park. And I think that\u2019s the hope with the Democrats, and our belief is that he\u2019s going to rise to the occasion in this June debate,\u201d said Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA), a progressive surrogate for the Biden campaign.<\/p>\n<p>Political spectators question whether <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/daily-memo\/3005229\/why-the-debates-are-coming-earlier\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>a debate this early<\/a> will have a lasting impact on the presidential race. In 2020, Biden and Trump did not appear onstage with one another until September.<\/p>\n<p>But for the Democrats, it represents what could be the beginning of a reset. Biden is trailing Trump in nearly every battleground state. In Nevada, the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.realclearpolling.com\/polls\/president\/general\/2024\/nevada\/trump-vs-biden\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>polling gap<\/a> is as large as 13 points.<\/p>\n<p>Those numbers are, at least publicly, regarded with a degree of skepticism. Democrats predict the election will be exceptionally close, just as it was in 2016 and 2020.<\/p>\n<p>But the Biden campaign has sought to put to rest concerns from party insiders that he could lose in November. At least one Democratic operative in close contact with the White House described the mood as an unmitigated \u201cfreakout,\u201d <a href=\"https:\/\/www.politico.com\/news\/2024\/05\/28\/democrats-freakout-over-biden-00160047\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>according to<\/a> <em>Politico<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p>The State of the Union largely surprised Washington lawmakers. Biden not only avoided major stumbles, but he also landed shots at Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA), a boogeyman for Democrats, and other Republicans <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/house\/2911375\/derrick-van-orden-faces-calls-apologize-state-of-the-union-outburst\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>jeering him<\/a> from the audience.<\/p>\n<p>More importantly, it helped the White House move past the Hur report. Biden would not face prosecution, but interview transcripts released to the public showed him forgetting details including the years he served as vice president and when his son Beau died.<\/p>\n<p>The State of the Union, given once a year before a joint session of Congress, is normally highly scripted affair in which the president lays out his priorities for the remainder of his term. But Biden used the event as a de facto campaign rally, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/2911988\/biden-says-trumps-name-state-union-philadelphia\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>mentioning<\/a> his \u201cpredecessor\u201d more than a dozen times across his 67-minute speech.<\/p>\n<figure><figcaption>President Joe Biden gestures to Republicans as Vice President Kamala Harris and House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) watch during the State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress at the U.S. Capitol, Thursday March 7, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo\/Andrew Harnik)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Biden runs the risk of fumbling in a more volatile debate setting. However, Biden emerged largely unscathed from his two debates with Trump in 2020, despite Trump\u2019s attempts to goad and rattle him.<\/p>\n<p>Democrats say the State of the Union provides fresh evidence he will do well.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cStrong. Focused. Knew the issues,\u201d Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-MD), the former House majority leader, said of Biden\u2019s speech. \u201cI think that\u2019s what he\u2019s going to be at the debate. I think that\u2019s why they\u2019re having a debate this early.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The June debate has been structured in such a way as to minimize risk to Biden. Trump agreed to the president\u2019s request that it be held in a studio, without a live audience, while it is being <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/white-house\/3004600\/biden-accepts-cnn-invitation-debate-trump\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>hosted by CNN<\/a>, seen as a friendly outlet to Biden.<\/p>\n<p>Biden will have another chance to dispel concerns with his speech at the Democratic National Convention in August, while he agreed to hold a second debate with Trump, this one hosted by ABC, on Sept. 10.   <\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe\u2019s got three big opportunities. And I think he\u2019s gonna move the needle there,\u201d said Khanna.<\/p>\n<p>But the June debate, in particular, will be held early enough that if Biden performs poorly, it will have largely receded into the background by Election Day.<\/p>\n<p>Democrats have bristled at the continued attempts to paint Biden as in cognitive decline, noting Trump is only a few years younger. Voters routinely cite Biden\u2019s age as a worry in public polling, but the GOP has also attempted to magnify, and at times distort, his verbal slip-ups.<\/p>\n<p>On Thursday, the party\u2019s research arm <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/RNCResearch\/status\/1793697545622815101\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>posted a clip<\/a> on X of Biden, who has largely overcome a childhood stutter, appearing to call his vice president \u201cPresident Kamala Harris.\u201d <\/p>\n<p>The debate poses the risk that Biden will give Republicans fresh ammunition. Yet Democrats also acknowledge the GOP portrayal gives Biden a chance to exceed expectations in high-profile moments.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHis speech at the State of the Union was good under any circumstances, but they, frankly, made it even better by the way they had been talking him down before it,\u201d said Sen. Tim Kaine (D-VA), who debated Mike Pence as Hillary Clinton\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/kamala-harris-backed-bail-fund-freed-alleged-domestic-abuser-now-accused-of-murder\/\" title=\"Kamala Harris-Backed Bail Fund Freed Alleged Domestic Abuser Now Accused Of Murder\">vice presidential nominee<\/a> in 2016.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnd I have no reason to think that the debate won\u2019t be similar,\u201d Kaine added. \u201cI wouldn\u2019t do too much trash-talking in advance.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Republicans acknowledge there is a danger in setting expectations low for Biden. Sen. J.D. Vance (R-OH), who is on Trump\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/one-of-the-picks-on-trumps-vp-short-list-speaks-out-about-what-45-really-needs-in-a-second-in-command\/\" title=\"VP Shortlist Pick Speaks on What Trump Needs in a Second-in-Command\">vice presidential short list<\/a>, considers Biden\u2019s State of the Union performance a \u201ccautionary tale\u201d for Republicans.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI mean, look, sometimes Biden has good days and sometimes he has bad days. And you don\u2019t want to get in a situation where he has a good day and blows away expectations,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI think it\u2019s easy for anybody to be on for an hour and a half,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n<p>Trump has seemingly attempted to reset expectations for the debates, claiming if Biden does well, it is because he is on performance-enhancing drugs.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe\u2019s going to be so jacked up for those, you watch,\u201d Trump <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/presidential\/3009163\/trump-demand-drug-test-biden-debate\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>alleged<\/a> earlier this month in remarks before the National Rifle Association. He has previously <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/2953136\/trump-biden-call-drug-tested-debate\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>said<\/a> without evidence that Biden was \u201chigh as a kite\u201d during his State of the Union.<\/p>\n<figure><figcaption>Former President Donald Trump speaks during the National Rifle Association Convention, Saturday, May 18, 2024, in Dallas. (AP Photo\/LM Otero)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Some Hill lawmakers expressed a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/white-house\/2910565\/democrats-relieved-bidens-state-of-the-union\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>heavy dose of skepticism<\/a> that these and other milestones in the presidential race will do much to change the dynamic.<\/p>\n<p>Rep. Dan Kildee (D-MI), a retiring congressman from the swing state of Michigan, predicted the independent voters who will decide the election are not going to be the ones plugged into the debate performances.<\/p>\n<p>Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL), who debated Trump in the 2016 presidential primary, said voters\u2019 perception of Biden are already set and won\u2019t be changed by a single debate performance.<\/p>\n<p>Indeed, a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/2020\/10\/22\/politics\/cnn-poll-final-presidential-debate\/index.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>snap poll<\/a> taken after the second presidential debate in 2020 found that viewers did not walk away with a materially different assessment of Trump or Biden. The president did not see a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/white-house\/2922723\/bidens-state-of-the-union-hushed-democratic-criticism-but-hasnt-helped-him-in-the-polls\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>polling bump<\/a> in the days after his State of the Union, either.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt could reinforce what people have already seen,\u201d Rubio said of Biden. \u201cBut I don\u2019t think he\u2019s gonna go in there and light the world on fire and change everybody\u2019s mind about what they have seen from him over the last three and a half years.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThese aren\u2019t two people running for sheriff,\u201d he added. \u201cThey\u2019re pretty well known.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>A debate does not only pose <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/presidential\/3016507\/biden-campaign-memo-debate-attack-trump\/\">risks<\/a> for Biden. In 2020, Trump was perceived as having been too combative in their first debate, while Democrats are banking on him treating the debate stage like a campaign rally.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe goes into weird tangents that are kind of really hard to understand what\u2019s going on,\u201d said Kaine. \u201cWill he do that in a debate? We\u2019ll see.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure><figcaption>President Donald Trump, left, and Democratic presidential candidate former Vice President Joe Biden, right, gesturing during the first presidential debate Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2020, at Case Western University and Cleveland Clinic, in Cleveland, Ohio. (AP Photo\/Julio Cortez)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Nonetheless, the debates are widely regarded as a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/2910389\/team-biden-slow-playing-trumps-debate-challenge\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>bigger liability<\/a> for Biden. Republicans generally believe the president would not have accepted them if he were not behind in the polls. Meanwhile, the Trump campaign has attempted to cast Biden as afraid to appear onstage by demanding additional debates beyond the two.<\/p>\n<p>Kildee suggested the debate is a chance for Biden to overcome what he sees as a gap between public perception and his own experience with the president.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI mean, I know him. I\u2019ve talk to him for hours on end,\u201d Kildee said. \u201cIf he could just present that Joe Biden, I don\u2019t have any problem at all.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title><strong>CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Khanna, the Biden surrogate, tacitly acknowledged the president is behind by giving a positive spin to his underdog status. He pointed to Biden\u2019s performance in vice presidential debates as Barack Obama\u2019s running mate, plus his two debates against Trump.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSomehow, he always is underestimated. And I think in many ways, he\u2019s like Harry Truman,\u201d Khanna said of Biden, referring to the 33rd president\u2019s upset victory in 1948. \u201cAs president, he is underestimated \u2014 he\u2019s going to be coming from behind in the polls, but he\u2019ll win.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Democrats are pinning their hopes on President Joe Biden&#8217;s upcoming debate performance after his surprising State of the Union address allayed worries about his 2024 candidacy. Republicans are highlighting Biden&#8217;s gaffes and lapses as proof of his unsuitability for re-election, raising concerns about his mental fitness for a second term<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3177,"featured_media":2255550,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/AP24068131851477-1024x591.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2255549","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/AP24068131851477-1024x591.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2255549","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3177"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2255549"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2255549\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2255550"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2255549"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2255549"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2255549"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}