Donald Trump is barely holding it together at trial — no wonder Republicans are afraid of a debate

Trump tantrumed and even quit a debate with Joe Biden in 2020, but now he’s even more emotionally volatile

Donald Trump has tried to taunt President Joe Biden by claiming he’s ready for a presidential debate “anytime, anywhere.” The gambit left him little choice but to immediately accept when the Biden campaign offered debate dates in June and September, and terms like not having an audience and allowing real journalists to moderate. But within mere hours it became clear that Trump and the rest of the GOP already regretted the decision.

Pretty quickly, Trump tried to change the terms of the debate, pretending that it will be held on Oct. 2 on Fox News. The Biden campaign swiftly rejected this lie, accusing Trump of “playing games,” and pointing out that https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/live/2024/may/15/biden-trump-election-house-republican-democrat-politics-updates but then ends up "pulling out at the last minute, or not showing up at all."

It’s true, of course. Trump has a habit of promising that he’ll do bold things and then backing out, whether it’s his empty promises to testify at his various trials or his false claims he’ll release policy proposals in a week or two. (It’s been over a month of silence, for instance, since he promised he would release an abortion platform in “14 days.”) In 2020, still burned by his terrible first debate with Biden, Trump refused to show up at the second and held an ego-flattering rally instead.

OpenStars,
@OpenStars@discuss.online avatar

Idea 💡: Biden tells people he will show up for a speech, with or without Trump present.

Say that Trump will refuse to show up, bc he’s too weak and pathetic. Use those exact words.

Trump doesn’t show = profit.

Or if Trump does show, doing his usual falling asleep during talky talk, then profit even moar!

Most likely Trump will try to do the identical thing in reverse, but everyone would see that Biden did it first.

KISSmyOSFeddit,

everyone would see that Biden did it first.

Where have you been the past 10 years? Half the country just sees what Fox “News” tells them.

bazus1,

that and farcebook. It sure explains for the current polls.

OpenStars,
@OpenStars@discuss.online avatar

Everyone who matters™

The Magats are a lost cause, but the like 2-3 centrists in the Midwest who control our entire nation at this point due to the Electoral College system (and Dems refusal to do anything once elected) might be persuaded this way?

Also, now I just want to see it done regardless of utility. 😎

img

grue,

but the like 2-3 centrists in the Midwest who control our entire nation at this point due to the Electoral College system (and Dems refusal to do anything once elected) might be persuaded this way?

Those people are fictional, just a narrative neoliberals make up to try to excuse their abject refusal to let the Democrats move left to actually get more votes.

OpenStars,
@OpenStars@discuss.online avatar

The way I see it, which would be dumber: if they existed, or not? So yeah, they probably exist:-P. And they are needlessly used as excuses.

But the main excuse ofc is that is simply how the game is played. It seems like it would be wise for us to wake up and realize that, but we are all too self-absorbed as a society.

Cryophilia,

There is no magical silent majority of leftists.

LifeInMultipleChoice,

Nah he’d get drugs for that. Someone pointed out the Adderall shortage lines up with Trump’s sudden constant non ability to stay awake. He might have to resort to cocaine though, so we may get some random rants about wanting to have sex with his daughter again

StaySquared,

Uh… there’s a lot of people looking forward to the debate between Trump and Biden, however some of us find it unfair that RFK Jr. isn’t involved.

kryptonianCodeMonkey, (edited )

I don’t care if RFK Jr. is in the debate or not. But any left leaning person actually entertaining voting for that moron is as bad as a Trump voter. It amounts to the same thing anyway.

StaySquared,

I’m only saying it’s unfair because it appears he’s being blocked.

baru,

There’s a person for the democrats, there’s one for the republicans. Due to the voting system only two parties matter. Why invite someone else? Doesn’t make sense. Don’t get why you make that as blocking.

StaySquared,

On October 9, 2023, RFK Jr. said that he would run as an independent candidate. Technically if he’s independent, he too should be on the stage.

Don’t get it mixed up, I’m not vouching for RFK Jr., I just believe in what’s fair. But you’re right, the U.S. seems to be a two party system, so they make the rules.

ccunning,

If you let every independent unaffiliated unnominated person running for president on stage it would be chaos. There have to be barriers to entry for it to be anything but.

jordanlund,
@jordanlund@lemmy.world avatar

Saying you’re running isn’t enough, you have to be on the ballot and RFK isn’t on the ballot in enough states to win.

StaySquared,

True.

homesweethomeMrL,

Are you not from the US? It’s pretty standardized, but not necessarily in a good way, from much of the world.

jj122,

CNN already put out the conditions required for him to be part of the debate. Needs to get 15% in 4 high quality national polls and be on the ballot in enough places to be able to get elected.

StaySquared,

Out of curiosity, why does a news media outlet have the rights or the authority to set conditions? Is it just because they’re hosting the debate? That’s my assumption.

KevonLooney,

Yes, they “have the authority” because Biden and Trump agreed to have them host the debate. RFK Jr. (big emphasis on Junior) is intentionally excluded because he’s nuts, and that’s before the brainworms.

snooggums,
@snooggums@midwest.social avatar

15% is a pretty low bar in a winner take all election, and being able to possibly win seems like a reasonable standard if the goal is to have a real debate. In that case I would include the top 5 polling candidates, no matter how low their percentage is. That way there is a chance for sokething to be important other than the talking points of the two major parties.

I don’t think it would be better, but then again the ‘debates’ are pointless any as they are just another place to spout campain slogans, and no actual debate occurs.

jordanlund,
@jordanlund@lemmy.world avatar

It doesn’t matter how high they are polling if they aren’t on the ballot in enough states to win.

Kennedy, Stein, and West COMBINED aren’t on the ballot in enough states to win.

DrSleepless,

Brain worms can’t debate if they’re dead

jordanlund,
@jordanlund@lemmy.world avatar

RFK Jr. isn’t on the ballot in enough states to be considered a serious candidate.

He’s on the ballot in Michigan (15), Oklahoma (7), and Utah (6). Total of 28 electoral college votes, far short of the 270 needed, even if he won all three (which he won’t.)

He CLAIMS he has enough support to get on the ballot in 10 more, however this is unproven and he’s still not on the ballot here:

California (54), Nevada (6), Idaho (4), Texas (40), Nebraska (5), Iowa (6), Ohio (17), North Carolina (16), Delaware (3), and New Hampshire (4), however all of those are unconfirmed.

elections2024.thehill.com

Even if all of that is correct, and he won all of them, it would still only be 183 electoral college votes, 87 short of what’s required to be President.

Debates are for actual Presidential candidates.

StaySquared,

Thanks for your response, that makes sense.

NineMileTower,

Trump: My team will play football only if it’s a home game and I get to pick the referees. Also, your team doesn’t get to to play, only my team does. And if you don’t agree then I’m not showing up and your team is to blame.

Untitled4774,

Also you’re not invited to my birthday party

CosmicTurtle0,

I read this in the voice of Seth Myers doing Trump.

Or Stephen Colbert doing Trump.

The words are too coherent to hear them as Trump.

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