As a farmer from rural Virginia, I try not to get too dejected or too excited about what the future holds…that’s on everything from the weather to how many chickens are going to hatch. In other words, I try to remain cautiously optimistic and hope for the best. But I must say, having been a long-time student of political history, watching countless debates, knowing how the media operates, and seeing things clearly for what they are, I have concerns about the fairness of this first televised showdown between former President Trump and President Biden – scheduled for the 27th of June on CNN.
I certainly can’t speak for everyone else – but if you are a Trump supporter like me, you’re already probably starting to sense how this thing could play out. As a trained lawyer, I’m used to researching precedent, and the precedent here is that we shouldn’t be too surprised if Biden is given a free pass and a lot of help.
Of course, we all know this is a re-run of sorts, given that both men have been president and we’ve had colorful previews of what these debates can look like. But in terms of the backdrop, the political stakes, the setting, the role of the media and other factors, I simply cannot help but think that the ultimate aim of this event is not to let the pugilists duke it out onstage, fairly and squarely, for the American public. Rather, it will be to try and present Biden in the most favorable light while driving home a set of narratives that tarnish Trump.
This could all transpire in a few ways – many of which are age-old political-media tactics out of the well-tested playbook. First, Biden will be given a lot of lay-up shots that allow him to respond with easy, approved, and canned answers. This will even be on questions that might sound somewhat critical of his record – from inflation, to the economy, to citizen sentiment, to immigration, to Ukraine, to Afghanistan. But they will be asked and presented in a way that will allow Biden to provide the most upbeat, positive, and forward-thinking soundbites and responses.
I can see it now. Persistent inflation? “It’s coming down and prices are receding.” Stubborn high gas prices? “We provided relief at the pump from evil rapacious price-gouging oil companies by opening up the SPR.” What about the situation in Gaza? “What happened to the Israelis in October was wrong…but Palestinian children should not be killed and wounded.” How about the situation at our border? “Congressional MAGA Republicans played obstinate politics and prevented us from securing the border.” For those who expect direct follow up, requests for clarification, or pushback on any hinky details, falsehoods or misrepresentations in any of the answers Joe Biden provides, don’t hold your breath.
Additionally, we should expect that certain topics – many of which the voters increasingly care about – will be completely off-limits. For example, I don’t think we should expect the moderators to ask the current president about any of the overarching legal concerns regarding the Biden family political influence scheme, classified documents in the garage, the “laptop from hell,” or Hunter Biden’s tax case and its connection to the Biden “brand.”
In fact, not only will certain subjects be completely taboo for Biden, but all topics dealing with the lawfare being waged against Trump will be fair game – and not in any way that gives the 45th president any benefit of the doubt. Moreover, we should not be surprised if the moderators ask questions right out of the gate that incorporate the idea of Trump being a “convicted felon.” This would be to establish the tone for the duration of the event, to give Biden an opportunity to deliver his preferred talking points, and to cement those two words in the minds of the public…like an annoying ad jingle. This approach may not be blunt or direct – it may in fact be presented in a subtle way – but it will be there. The moderators and CNN as a network simply cannot let the debate occur without that issue being addressed and that phrasing coming into play.
Expect easy questions for Biden – ones that don’t require thorough recall of sophisticated policy specifics or complex data points. Conversely, expect hard and tough questions for Trump – and these questions may be slanted in ways that will assume guilt, even on topics where he is not a “convicted felon.” As an example, they’ll ask things like, “Why should the American people trust you with another four years after your role in the January 6th riots and insurrection?” Of course, don’t assume that Biden will be asked, “Why should the American people trust you with another four years when your polls consistently wallow among the lowest for sitting presidents of all time and when key issues that the American people rank most highly in importance are where you poll the worst?”
Now, I hope that I’m completely off base about all of this. I hope that the moderators, Jake Tapper and Dana Bash, are fair and equal and professional and allow this debate to unfold without any taint of political persuasion, or weighting of the scales. I hope that Trump is not constantly overruled or cut off just when he’s about to make a point. I hope that when Biden starts to stammer, they don’t come to his aid and feed him lifelines. I hope that Trump is able to make his case to the viewing public and that the electorate can also see what vision Biden might offer for the country based on his four-year record as the nation’s chief executive. I’ll happily eat crow if proven wrong. But if history is any indicator, what is described above probably won’t be too far off the mark.
Martha Fain is a policy expert, strategic consultant and frequent commentator on issues of national importance. She is Chairman of Vote America First and a Principal of Victory Coalition Strategies, LLC and has a J.D. from the Antonin Scalia School of law at George Mason University.
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