TO: President Trump
FROM: Adam Turner
RE: The June 27th Debate
President Trump, the first presidential debate is in less than a week. A lot is riding on this debate, at least for Joe Biden. This is because, since the last memo I wrote you, things have become even worse for Biden, and he and the Democrats are even more desperate to right their campaign.
The New York partisan lawfare case against you was supposed to be a game changer; but it clearly wasn’t. Alvin Bragg got 34 convictions, but politically speaking, it has been a total dud. The latest two national polls show mixed results – a Fox Poll that has Biden up 50 percent to 48 percent and a Rasmussen Poll that has you up 49 percent to 40 percent. Overall, in the national polling RealClearPolitics average, post-conviction, you went down by about a point. This has been a temporary loss, as you have since rebounded to take a narrow lead of about a point. And, as we all know, Joe Biden needs to be up at least three points in the national polling average to be assured of winning the battleground states. Meanwhile, the polling in the battleground states, and in other states, including Iowa, Minnesota, and Virginia, has stayed the same or even gotten better for you. Also, Joe Biden’s job approval is deeply underwater, still hovering around 40 percent, which in the past has marked an incumbent president for defeat. Finally, the lawfare cases have made your fundraising shoot through the roof, and the Democrats no longer have the vast campaign finance edge they were counting on before.
Trump Resurgent: Joe Biden’s Fundraising Lead Vanishes,
Biden Campaign Reportedly Despondent
Good News: Trump Just Nuked One Advantage Biden Did Have in Campaign
There have been a multitude of articles and columns in the mainstream media (MSM), as well as in the conservative media, evaluating the coming debate and providing unsolicited advice to the candidates. Some of these articles are totally out of left field and are ridiculous; others are more useful. I have gone through them to distill what I believe is most pertinent.
There will be no opening statements at the debate. Instead, the moderators will jump right in with their questions. Considering we are dealing with CNN moderators, including “Fake” Jake Tapper, they will be doing their best to assist Joe Biden. I suspect the following topics will be covered:
Topics
-
Your New York Convictions (and other Lawfare Cases) = Without a doubt, the first question will concern your New York convictions, and there will probably be follow-up questions. Expect the first question to be something along the lines of “a New York jury has found you guilty of falsifying business records — a felony. Should the American people be concerned that you, a potential Commander-in-Chief, who is constitutionally tasked with making sure that the laws be faithfully executed, have become a felon who may be required to serve a prison sentence?” This question works for them since it is comparable to the “When did you stop beating your wife?” biased question often referenced in law courses. CNN also might lump in the civil cases from New York. And there will probably be questions/calls for you to respect the legal system in New York, and these decisions, however much you disagree with them.
-
Abortion = This is the one polling issue that works in the Democrats’ favor, and it is uniquely important to their base. I guarantee at least one question will be asked about it.
-
You are a Devil who is Undermining Democracy = You can expect multiple questions on your statements, including the one on Charlottesville, on bleach, and/or your use of language such as “bloodbath” or “vermin,” etc. And/or on your actions during January 6, your unwillingness to accept the 2020 election results, and whether you will accept the 2024 results (if you lose). And/or on your supposedly being a “racist,” an “antisemite,” a “bigot,” a “misogynist,” or just a person who appeals to these types of individuals. Also, expect questions on your supposed willingness to act as an authoritarian who will use the Department of Justice or some other department/agency to “persecute” your political opponents.
-
You are Senile = Lately, the Democrats and the MSM (but I repeat myself) have been trying to make the case that you, too, like Joe Biden, are senile. CNN will probably have a question that tries to further their campaign to make this “fetch” happen.
-
The Economy = CNN would prefer not to discuss this issue, but they just can’t avoid it. Presumably, they will ask economic question(s) while referencing job growth or wage growth, or make the point that the “economy is better than people think” to soften any implicit criticism of Joe Biden’s record. Or, they might try to focus blame for any problems on the “evils of big business” or on “greedy billionaires,” like yourself. I could also see a question on “shrinkflation.”
-
The Border = Once again, CNN would prefer not to discuss this issue, but they just can’t avoid at least one question regarding the border situation. They will presumably try to obscure the cause of the problem by claiming that the GOP blocked a strong border bill for partisan reasons and that you were the person who told GOP Congressmen to oppose it.
-
Foreign Policy = The world is a mess, so CNN will probably try to blame you or otherwise downplay that Joe Biden’s weakness and appeasement are the cause of this chaos. There will be some references to you having a supposed fondness for Putin and other dictators. Also, CNN will claim that our allies – read Western Europe – prefer Joe Biden over you because Biden cooperates with our allies, while you are too much of a lone wolf.
-
Climate Change = The MSM loves this issue and always tries to include it in debates, even in Republican primary debates. Presumably, this debate will have one question on the climate, probably referencing the current heat wave (which we would normally call “a hot summer”).
A large number of articles have addressed Joe Biden’s likely strategy during the debate. In a Politico article, the left-wing news source wrote:
“We’ve seen in polling since the conviction that the more the conviction is front and center in voters’ attention, the worse it is for Trump,” said a Biden campaign pollster granted anonymity to describe internal polling because they were not authorized to do so publicly. The pollster said their research concluded that Trump’s conviction could effectively be used in a broader depiction of Trump as being self-centered and unwilling to take responsibility for his actions.
So, you can expect Joe Biden to refer to you endlessly as a “convicted felon,” as my RedState colleague Nick Arama has written. Biden will also probably claim that you were found liable for rape – or sexual assault – and that your business was punished for its predatory behavior.
Breitbart, reading the New York Times, so we don’t have to, further has reported that Joe Biden will be very “aggressive” so as “to show that he is not diminished and is capable of carrying out presidential duties in a second term.” They continue:
Biden will deliver “punchier” comments in the debate to project himself as “steady” and “wise” … “in contrast to Trump’s chaos and division,” the official told the Times. Biden’s attacks will reportedly focus on how Trump is an alleged threat to democracy… His “ripping away reproductive rights, promoting political violence and undermining our democratic institutions, and doing the bidding of his billionaire donors to fund tax giveaways to the ultra-wealthy and corporations by hurting seniors and the middle class,” will be included, the official added.
Putting everything together, Biden will be depicting you as a greedy extremist billionaire, one who is totally unconcerned with democratic norms, the law, or civil rights, and who is “self-centered” and “unwilling to take responsibility for his actions.” He will also channel his inner Bernie Sanders socialist/communist persona to attack you along economic lines (like he does in this commercial).
Biden also might go after you regarding your response to COVID-19 and your supposed “callous indifference” to it.
Oh, and as another RedState colleague, Sister Toldjah, has recounted, the Biden campaign is promising some further “surprises.” This could be anything; as we know, Joe Biden is not afraid to tell tall tales.
In my prior memo, I went through some possible responses for you for the debate. Since that time, the only things that have changed are that (the left-wing site) Snopes has debunked Biden’s lie about what you said regarding Charlottesville, which was the stated reason he ran for president, and that there has been a pogrom against Jews at a synagogue in Los Angeles, which Biden has said and done nothing about. (As former New York Mayor Ed Koch would probably say, a Jew would have to be crazy to vote for Joe Biden.)
Finally, former Speaker Newt Gingrich, who in 2012 handled the GOP Presidential primary debates masterfully, has some very useful advice regarding the big picture. He counsels you to be calm and use humor rather than anger when confronting Biden and his lies. I agree wholeheartedly. (Perhaps a “there you go again” is appropriate?)
Speaker Gingrich also makes another key point – you have a huge edge in this debate:
(U)nless Biden can hit a knockout punch against Trump, he loses the debate by definition. Because the next morning everybody goes back to a grocery store and they look at the prices and they remember who the president is. The following day they watch the local news and they see an illegal immigrant rape or murder an American citizen and they remember Biden has an open border. The day after that they see Biden stumbling around confused with somebody helping them off of a stage or onto a stage.
Which leads me to my last point. Since you have the final word in the debate, you certainly should end by priming the voters’ post-debate thought process by channeling Ronald Reagan’s final statement in 1980. “Are you better off today than you were four years ago?”
It continues to be so appropriate.
