Trump campaign works to set narrative ahead of pivotal debates with Biden

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The Trump campaign is already looking forward to the first presidential debate at the end of the month, eyeing the one-on-one format with Democratic nominee Joe Biden as the best remaining chance to sway voters toward the president.

Trump and Biden will square off for the first time on Sept. 29 in Cleveland. The pandemic-altered campaign season, which has left the candidates with fewer opportunities to meet voters face-to-face, has put an even greater emphasis on the debates.

Even after getting a slight boost after the Republican National Convention, Trump still trails Biden in the polls by a healthy margin nationally, and by a few percentage points in most battleground states. Continue reading.

Commission on Presidential Debates announces moderators

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The Commission on Presidential Debates on Wednesday announced the moderators for the general election debates: Fox News’ Chris Wallace, USA Today’s Susan Page, C-SPAN’s Steve Scully and NBC News’ Kristen Welker.

What to watch: President Trump has previously been a harsh critic of Chris Wallace and attacked NBC as “fake news.”

What they’re saying: “These are not the moderators we would have recommended if the campaign had been allowed to have any input,” Trump campaign spokesman Tim Murtaugh said in a statement.

  • “One thing is sure: Chris Wallace’s selection ensures that Biden will finally see him face-to-face after dodging his interview requests,” he added. Continue reading.