‘Too hot.’ GOP allies urge Trump to shift tactics for next debate
WASHINGTON – The scorching first debate between President Donald Trump and Democratic nominee Joe Biden caused heartburn among some of the president’s allies but little movement toward a new strategy as aides prepare for the next round in Miami.
Trump’s insult-laced, interruptionheavy approach Tuesday night soured some voters, preliminary polling showed, and allowed Biden to call attention to the president’s chaotic style. But Trump has long focused on firing up his core supporters. By that metric, some Republicans said, his performance may have helped.
“There’s always a lot of secondguessing within a campaign – and plenty of polls say Trump’s demeanor is a ‘road closed’ sign to swing voters – but Trump’s not going to hit the exit,” predicted Republican donor Dan Eberhart, who has given to Trump’s campaign. “He’s just going to press the accelerator deeper into the floor.”
Both candidates claimed victory after the 90-minute slugfest, in which Trump not only scrambled with Biden but also repeatedly drew moderator Chris Wallace into the mix. The president told supporters at a rally in Minnesota the next night that he “took the fight to Biden” and assured them that “all of us won big.”
A Politico/Morning Consult poll Thursday found that half of voters who watched the debate say Biden outperformed Trump compared with 34% who say the president did better. A CNBC/Change Research poll found 53% of likely voters say Biden did a better job versus 29% for Trump.
Trump and Biden are scheduled to square off again in Miami on Oct. 15, then meet for a final time in Nashville on Oct. 22. The debate-turned-brawl in Cleveland prompted the Commission on Presidential Debates to announce it would apply “additional tools” to enforce its rules.
Some critics want moderators to be able to shut off microphones to prevent the candidates from talking over each other. The commission has yet to spell out what changes it is considering.
Trump suggested on Twitter Thursday that he might not agree to rule changes. If he objects to the format, he would have the option of boycotting the final two debates.
Republicans openly criticized him for not directly condemning white supremacists. Others questioned his confrontational approach.
Former Sen. Rick Santorum, R-Pa., said he “overplayed” his hand minutes after the debate ended. Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, who helped prep Trump for the debate, offered a similar assessment on ABC, saying Trump came in “too hot.” Conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh said Trump “undermined his own strategy” in the feisty debate.
Trump senior campaign aide Jason Miller demurred on a question about Christie’s criticism Thursday, saying the former governor is an “important part of the team” and is “never shy about voicing his opinion.”
Trump campaign officials declined to answer specific questions about future strategy, though some predicted the town hall format of the next presidential debate would shift the dynamic. It’s one thing to be combative with an opponent or a well-known network anchor but something else to hector voters asking questions, they said.
During his town hall appearance last month on ABC, Trump was mostly deferential to voters posing tough questions on the pandemic and race relations. He did interrupt Ellesia Blaque, a Kutztown University professor who quizzed Trump on his plans to protect Americans with preexisting health conditions.
“Please stop and let me finish my question, sir,” Blaque said.
Blaque told CNN, “I’m going to vote for Biden.”
While voting is well underway, Trump’s most effective strategy is to take a page from his playbook four years ago and focus on disqualifying his opponent, said Alex Conant, a Republican strategist.