Should the upcoming debate between President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump focus on policy or personality questions? For former CNN media correspondent and current Vanity Fair special correspondent Brian Stelter, the answer depends on who is attacking whom. On Thursday’s CNN News Central, Stelter claimed the debate poses a great opportunity for Biden to attack Trump’s “controversies and scandals,” but lamented that Trump will probably be “cruel” to Biden instead of talking policy.
Host Boris Sanchez asked Stelter to give advice to both camps on how to go viral at the debate, “So if you're in either camp, what's the approach to seeking out a moment at the debate for virality?”
Stelter began by declaring that Biden is aware that most people aren’t as well informed as CNN viewers allegedly are, “Well, you know, number one, I think these candidates, especially Biden, are going to come into this, assuming that people have not been paying attention because, yes, there are probably 10 or 20 million Americans who are news junkies, CNN fans who are up to speed on all the latest developments, they know about all of Trump's temper tantrums. They know about all of his claims, his talk about being a dictator.”
He further claimed that “Biden is also aware and his aides are aware that many Americans have not heard about all of this. They've not been tuned in, so for Biden, especially it's a chance to raise the salience of Trump controversies and scandals and bring those home to Americans. Those are the moments I think Biden is going to want to create to try to clip.”
On the other hand, “For Trump, you know, it's anyone's guess, right? He's claiming he's not going to be prepping the way Biden is, so it's anyone's guess.”
However, Stelter did claim that, “I've been interviewing some former debate moderators for Vanity Fair. They say they want to always focus on policy, that was the goal in the past. Policy questions, substance questions, I think the danger or the fear with this debate is that Donald Trump's going to try to make it much more about personality and personal issues. Just to boil it down, how cruel is Trump going to be, right? How cruel will he be to Biden? Those actually-- those moments might really become viral in ways that could be positive or negative and no one knows for sure.”
Going after Trump personally is part of voter education, but going after Biden personally is “cruel.” This is CNN.
Here is a transcript for the June 20 show:
CNN News Central
6/20/2024
2:07 PM ET
BORIS SANCHEZ: So if you're in either camp, what's the approach to seeking out a moment at the debate for virality?
BRIAN STELTER: Well, you know, number one, I think these candidates, especially Biden, are going to come into this, assuming that people have not been paying attention because, yes, there are probably 10 or 20 million Americans who are news junkies, CNN fans who are up to speed on all the latest developments, they know about all of Trump's temper tantrums.
They know about all of his claims, his talk about being a dictator. But Biden is also aware and his aides are aware that many Americans have not heard about all of this. They've not been tuned in, so for Biden, especially it's a chance to raise the salience of Trump controversies and scandals and bring those home to Americans. Those are the moments I think Biden is going to want to create to try to clip.
For Trump, you know, it's anyone's guess, right? He's claiming he's not going to be prepping the way Biden is, so it's anyone's guess, but I've been interviewing some former debate moderators for Vanity Fair. They say they want to always focus on policy, that was the goal in the past. Policy questions, substance questions, I think the danger or the fear with this debate is that Donald Trump's going to try to make it much more about personality and personal issues. Just to boil it down, how cruel is Trump going to be, right? How cruel will he be to Biden? Those actually-- those moments might really become viral in ways that could be positive or negative and no one knows for sure.
