There once was a time when NBC hit The Apprentice was considered by millions to be must-see TV, but this week, another primetime offering involving Donald Trump will almost certainly draw massive numbers, namely, the first presidential debate of the season.
Though many are expecting the octogenarian president to face an uphill battle in the matchup against his predecessor, Biden insiders have indicated that the commander in chief plans to come out aggressively swinging, right from the start, as Breitbart reports.
There has been much speculation as to how Biden plans to prepare for his on-stage encounter with Trump, but it is known that his team has allotted a great deal of time in the run-up to the debate for intensive preparation.
Breitbart noted that the White House declined to comment earlier this year as to whether the president would utilize performance-enhancing pharmaceuticals prior to the Thursday night event, as some pundits suggested he did prior to his State of the Union address.
It is known, however, that former White House chief of staff Ron Klain set aside time from his own schedule to assist with debate prep.
Officials speaking on behalf of the Biden campaign hinted that the president would engage in increasingly “punchier” repartee than some may expect, doing so as a means to appear strong confident in the face of a challenge.
One such official explained, “The president has gotten increasingly punchier in recent remarks about Trump and plans to carry that theme through to the debate, while still projecting himself as the wise and steady leader in contrast to Trump's chaos and division.”
Trump has also offered some insight into his expectations for Thursday, touching on the subject during a weekend rally in Philadelphia, as The Hill reports.
Speaking about the format of the proceedings, to be hosted by a pair of CNN personalities without any audience present, Trump mused, “There's two [of] us and two of them – it's like death, and adding, "This could be the most boring or it could be quite exciting, who knows?”
Adding fuel to speculation about Biden's potential use of medicinal aides to boost vigor on the night in question, Trump joked, “A little before debate time, [Biden] gets a shot in the a**, and that's – they want to strengthen him up.”
Earlier this year, Trump went so far as to suggest that Biden undergo a drug test in advance of the debate, as The Hill noted at the time, saying, “I don't want him coming in like the State of the Union, he was high as a kite.”
Quips aside, however, as ABC News reported last week, Trump said he was taking nothing for granted and said of Biden, “I assume he's gonna be somebody that will be a worthy debater...I don't want to underestimate him.”
“All I can say is this, I watched him with Paul Ryan, and he destroyed Paul Ryan...[s]o I'm not underestimating him,” Trump added.
The stakes for Biden, however, could not be higher, with CNN contributor and liberal pundit Van Jones having declared that any mistakes on the stage Thursday night would result in a declaration of “game over” for the president's re-election hopes, and that pressure alone could cause the aging commander in chief to falter in an irrecoverable way.
