# Is Trump confused?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-trump-confused/996589>\
**Category:** Politics & Elections\
**Tags:** trump\
**Created:** [January 24, 2024, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-trump-confused/996589 "2024-01-24T13:53:03Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Showing post:** 1350

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**Author:** ![Aspenglow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aspenglow/32/76_2.png) [@Aspenglow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aspenglow)\
**Post date:** [August 5, 2024, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-trump-confused/996589/1350 "2024-08-05T17:42:20Z")

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Moderating:

> [@Win\_Place\_Show](#):
>
> I suppose it’s possible that I missed this being discussed in one of the other threads, but now he’s trying to pull the “Uno reverse-card” and say that he’s agreed to a September **4th** debate with Harris to be moderated by Fox News.

> [@chappachula](#):
>
> Why should the fact that Fox is moderating make such a difference? Harris can still say "Fine, I’ll debate on Fox, as long as the standard conditions apply–turning off microphones, etc.

> [@Johnny\_L.A](#):
>
> **New Rule:** If your network had to pay $787 million to settle claims for lying to its audience, it doesn’t get to host a debate. Ever.

> [@CairoCarol](#):
>
> I hope that’s the approach that Harris’s team takes. It’s insane not to agree to debate Trump as long as the rules are clear, fair, and followed.

> [@needscoffee](#):
>
> Kamala should not, under any circumstances, debate trump on Fox News. Besides that she would be capitulating to him, Fox would make her look bad any way they could.

> [@DrDeth](#):
>
> I concur. “It’s a trap”- and we dont even need Admiral Akbar to spot it.

> [@CairoCarol](#):
>
> So, when Trump calls her a “coward,” that’s okay?
> 
> I think she is strong enough to hold her own in any debate setting that is even remotely fair (and it can be arranged so that Faux News meets that standard).

> [@DWMarch](#):
>
> I don’t think Kamala is scared to debate Trump anywhere, including Fox News.
> 
> The thing is, there is no Fox News debate. Trump made it up. She has no obligation to indulge Trump’s weird fantasies where Fox tips the scales in his favor.

> [@Atamasama](#):
>
> Trump isn’t afraid to debate people.

> [@Smapti](#):
>
> Trump’s proposal isn’t anywhere near “remotely fair”.

> [@needscoffee](#):
>
> If all it takes to get someone to go against their better judgment is trump calling them a “coward”, then they haven’t watched Back To The Future, Pt II.

> [@Spoons](#):
>
> Right. He wants a rally setting on a friendly (to him) network. Not I said, “rally setting,” which means an arena full of people:

> [@Robot\_Arm](#):
>
> I have no faith that Fox would follow the rules. “We muted Kamala’s microphone by mistake. Nine times. Oops.”

> [@CairoCarol](#):
>
> But that’s exactly the kind of thing the Trump side says. Pre-emptively claiming “oh, it won’t be fair so we won’t do it” is what the Trump side uses for a reason when they don’t want to debate.

> [@crowmanyclouds](#):
>
> Pre-emptively??? The $787.5 million that ain’t in Fox’s bank account says there is nothing pre-emptive about claiming Fox will not be fair.

> [@Spoons](#):
>
> That’s why I’ve suggested elsewhere that a neutral broadcaster (my suggestion was the BBC) host and moderate any debate.

> [@Smapti](#):
>
> They have it; “Trump has already agreed to a debate on September 10th.

> [@Robot\_Arm](#):
>
> And has Trump preemptively accused ABC of bias, or given any excuse for why he’s backing out of the debate he already agreed to? If he’s worried about it, why did he agree to those rules, and that forum, in the first place?

> [@Robot\_Arm](#):
>
> Therre is no neutral broadcaster; or to be more specific, there is no broadcaster that Trump will not accuse of bias if he thinks it’s in his interest to do so.

> [@CairoCarol](#):
>
> What? So when the Magats go low, Dems must also go equally low?

> [@Smapti](#):
>
> We tried “when they go low, we go high” already. The result was President Trump. Now it’s time to do things the Chicago way.

> [@crowmanyclouds](#):
>
> Totally not fair!

> [@Robot\_Arm](#):
>
> Not at all. On balance, across all their policy positions and public behavior, Democrats have more integrity in a single dogcatcher than Republicans do in their whole convention. But if, in some isolated areas, they happen to say similar things (like pushing for debate rules that favor their candidate), I’m okay with that.

> [@Spoons](#):
>
> Metaphorically, I hope.
> 
> But yes, the Democrats should not bring a knife to a gunfight.

> [@Win\_Place\_Show](#):
>
> The talking point that popped up all of a sudden yesterday in Facebook comments (so I know they got it from somewhere) is that Don-Old is suing ABC, so there’s a “conflict of interest” there.

> [@Dinsdale](#):
>
> In his Chicago appearance last week, he pointedly called ABC “fake news.” Not a rare utterance from him, tho.

> [@Atamasama](#):
>
> Yes, particularly because he currently has a lawsuit against ABC.

> [@BlankSlate](#):
>
> FOX should be a non-starter. It’s not a news organization.

> [@Horatius](#):
>
> And this gives the notoriously litigious Trump an effective veto over any debate. Propose a broadcaster, and he just sues them. ABC? Lawsuit!

> [@needscoffee](#):
>
> Fox News has proven time and time again that they won’t follow the rules. _Why else do you think Trump is insisting on them?_

> [@CairoCarol](#):
>
> It’s not only about low versus high. It’s about not using the same stupid tactics that Trump does, because Trump is an idiot.

> [@Kamala Harris and Donald Trump Debate Controversy](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kamala-harris-and-donald-trump-debate-controversy/1005279/32):
>
> As has been pointed out, there is an agreement signed by both campaigns to debate on ABC and does not mention the name of any of the candidates, just conditions for qualifying. Why are you encouraging Harris to allow Trump to unilaterally scrap this agreement?

Have any of you noticed for how long you’ve been discussing terms of a debate between Trump and Harris, and not how or if Trump is confused?

Seriously, none of you noticed? Shame on you.

Please stop hijacking the thread and take the discussion re debates elsewhere.

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