Former President Trump is taking a notably different approach to debate preparation compared to President Biden. While Biden has chosen to engage in intensive debate prep sessions with his advisors at Camp David, Trump has taken a different route by avoiding mock debates with his team and focusing on meeting with close allies and actively participating in campaign events.
Trump has been engaging in private meetings with Republican allies in recent weeks in anticipation of the upcoming debate. These meetings have included discussions with potential vice presidential running mates, senators, and other policy experts, which his campaign has described as 'policy discussions.'
One of the vice presidential nominee contenders, Sen. JD Vance of Ohio, recently met with Trump and his staff at Mar-a-Lago in Florida to discuss debate messaging on the economy and strategies to target Biden on inflation.
During a recent visit to Washington, Trump held closed-door meetings with Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida and Sen. Eric Schmitt of Missouri, along with his campaign managers and senior advisers. The discussions covered various policy issues, including how to address potential debate questions related to the January 6, 2021, protests at the U.S. Capitol.
While Trump has engaged in policy discussions with key advisors and allies, there have been no mock debates conducted thus far. This marks a departure from his debate preparation strategy in 2020, which involved mock debates with former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie playing the role of Biden.
Senior adviser Jason Miller emphasized that Trump's extensive experience in handling tough interviews and delivering lengthy rally speeches demonstrates his elite stamina, suggesting that traditional mock debates are unnecessary for him. Miller also highlighted Trump's demand for drug testing for both candidates before the debate.
