# Trump will not debate Biden on June 27, 2024, or thereafter either **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Tags:** trump\ **Created:** [June 5, 2024, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-will-not-debate-biden-on-june-27-2024-or-thereafter-either/1002493 "2024-06-05T01:26:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 30
**Author:** ![Great\_Antibob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47c2d/32.png) [@Great\_Antibob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Great_Antibob)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2024, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-will-not-debate-biden-on-june-27-2024-or-thereafter-either/1002493/581 "2024-06-25T16:14:52Z")
These aren’t really “outs” so much as excuses they set up beforehand should the debate go poorly for them. Not showing up at all allows people to paint him as a loser who backs down. I’ve never given much credence to that. All these sideshows are about what happens after. It sets them up to say “I didn’t lose - they cheated”. If there’s anything we have learned over the last decade, it’s that he loves playing the aggressive bully who also loves shifting blame to others for his personal failings. ---
**Author:** ![Euphonious\_Polemic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/euphonious_polemic/32/3002_2.png) [@Euphonious\_Polemic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euphonious_Polemic)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2024, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-will-not-debate-biden-on-june-27-2024-or-thereafter-either/1002493/582 "2024-06-25T16:20:01Z")
> [@Great\_Antibob](#): > > It sets them up to say “I didn’t lose - they cheated”. This is basically all the R’s have left at this point. ---
**Author:** ![bordelond](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bordelond/32/150_2.png) [@bordelond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bordelond)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2024, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-will-not-debate-biden-on-june-27-2024-or-thereafter-either/1002493/583 "2024-06-25T16:22:02Z")
**[USA Today’s Rex Huppke](https://www.yahoo.com/news/trump-chicken-presidential-debate-probably-080629745.html?.tsrc=daily_mail&segment_id=DY_VTO&ncid=crm_19908-1202929-20240625-0&bt_user_id=Y8Fi%2BWMMjoNLBnV99gMo2icnE1yoJ40MPVyOxv8Bk5jRk62gJzID5N11Ei3nbMEO&bt_ts=1719312793639)** _still_, as of this morning, thinks @Aeschines 's OP is on to something: > Until we see him set foot on the [debate stage Thursday night in Atlanta](https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/elections/2024/06/18/trump-biden-presidential-debate-2024/74135958007/), there’s a strong chance the former president chickens out and runs to the safety of a rally where he can comfortably air his myriad grievances and extract money from his gullible fans. Huppke then hedges a bit and offers scenarios about how the debate might go down should it take place. > The first, as mentioned before, is Trump turns tail and runs away from the debate, screaming about how it’s unfair and he’s treated so horribly and everyone is out to get him … > > The second possibility is Trump shows up to the debate and then, after having his microphone cut off a couple of times or hearing a question about his own behavior that he considers unfair, storms off the stage, creating a dramatic, faux-tough-guy scene he can use to [raise more money to pay his copious legal bills](https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2024/03/27/us/politics/trump-cases-legal-fund.html). ---
**Author:** ![Rhodes](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rhodes/32/273_2.png) [@Rhodes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhodes)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2024, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-will-not-debate-biden-on-june-27-2024-or-thereafter-either/1002493/584 "2024-06-25T16:33:07Z")
> [@bordelond](#): > > The second possibility is Trump shows up to the debate and then, after having his microphone cut off a couple of times or hearing a question about his own behavior that he considers unfair, storms off the stage, … If this happens, I hope the moderator simply acknowledges that one of the debators has declined to participate further, and continues the debate in Trump’s absence. ---
**Author:** ![DavidNRockies](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidnrockies/32/6279_2.png) [@DavidNRockies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DavidNRockies)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2024, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-will-not-debate-biden-on-june-27-2024-or-thereafter-either/1002493/585 "2024-06-25T16:35:20Z")
To me, it breaks down like this: - Biden is calm, measured, thoughtful, intelligent, deliberative, and mature → endless refrains of “Sleepy Joe;” - Biden is vigorous, animated, erudite, lucid, has an excellent command of policy and issues, and never lacks for a scathing retort → “Biden’s on DRUGS!” In that regard, Biden can’t win. ---
**Author:** ![Sherrerd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sherrerd/32/8_2.png) [@Sherrerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sherrerd)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2024, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-will-not-debate-biden-on-june-27-2024-or-thereafter-either/1002493/586 "2024-06-25T16:49:29Z")
> [@Horatius](#): > > > [@Sherrerd](#): > > > > But in 2024, since they’re _not_ accusing Biden of that, they probably _don’t_ plan to use the earpiece-cheating idea. > > Here’s the thing about cognitive decline: Things like this, to help combat cognitive decline, often don’t actually work, _because of the cognitive decline._ > > The whole point is that you’re just not processing information correctly any more, and so even if you have someone whispering in your ear, you’ll just fail to process that new information as well. … Indeed. Which is likely why we haven’t seen reports of Trump being spotted with a device in his ear. . . > [@Cardigan](#): > > This is at least something sorta new (well, new to me at any rate). Up to now, Fox has been busy laying the foundations of why Biden did so well in the debate - just like the SOTU address - on the premise _that he was jacked up on drugs._ I would guess that in response to Biden’s well-received performance in this year’s State of the Union, the Trumpists decided to go with “drugs” instead of with the 2020-popular “earpiece” because of how close House Speaker Mike Johnson was to Biden throughout the entire speech. Johnson may even have said to the relevant Trump propagandists, ‘_do NOT claim that Biden did well because of an earpiece because I am not willing to lie about seeing one in his ear and I don’t want weeks of people asking me to lie about it._’ ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2024, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-will-not-debate-biden-on-june-27-2024-or-thereafter-either/1002493/587 "2024-06-25T17:27:30Z")
> [@DavidNRockies](#): > > In that regard, Biden can’t win. More accurately, no matter what Biden does or doesn’t do, an ardent lying propagandist can lie about his performance to describe it as something negative. And in a world where a whole lot of people believe only the liars, and never the truth, the lie becomes the truth. At least to that benighted faction who listen only to them. ---
**Author:** ![Euphonious\_Polemic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/euphonious_polemic/32/3002_2.png) [@Euphonious\_Polemic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euphonious_Polemic)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2024, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-will-not-debate-biden-on-june-27-2024-or-thereafter-either/1002493/588 "2024-06-25T17:56:20Z")
> [@DavidNRockies](#): > > - Biden is calm, measured, thoughtful, intelligent, deliberative, and mature → endless refrains of “Sleepy Joe;” > - Biden is vigorous, animated, erudite, lucid, has an excellent command of policy and issues, and never lacks for a scathing retort → “Biden’s on DRUGS!” I don’t think it will be either/or. They will work both of these angles simultaneously, with no regard whatsoever to the fact they are mutually exclusive. The MAGAts won’t notice. ---
**Author:** ![Akaj](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/akaj/32/145_2.png) [@Akaj](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Akaj)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2024, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-will-not-debate-biden-on-june-27-2024-or-thereafter-either/1002493/589 "2024-06-25T17:58:59Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > > [@DavidNRockies](#): > > > > In that regard, Biden can’t win. > > More accurately, no matter what Biden does or doesn’t do, an ardent lying propagandist can lie about his performance to describe it as something negative. > > And in a world where a whole lot of people believe only the liars, and never the truth, the lie becomes the truth. At least to that benighted faction who listen only to them. Yes, but who _outside the MAGA bubble_ will believe that Biden’s on some kind of magical drug that transforms a doddering old man with dementia into an energetic, forceful speaker with a sharp intellect? It’s a stupid argument, even for Republicans. ---
**Author:** ![Euphonious\_Polemic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/euphonious_polemic/32/3002_2.png) [@Euphonious\_Polemic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euphonious_Polemic)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2024, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-will-not-debate-biden-on-june-27-2024-or-thereafter-either/1002493/590 "2024-06-25T18:00:10Z")
Stupid arguments are all they have left. ---
**Author:** ![Horatius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/horatius/32/3572_2.png) [@Horatius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatius)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2024, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-will-not-debate-biden-on-june-27-2024-or-thereafter-either/1002493/591 "2024-06-25T18:19:10Z")
> [@Euphonious\_Polemic](#): > > They will work both of these angles simultaneously, with no regard whatsoever to the fact they are mutually exclusive. Yep. Any answer that is well-thought out and delivered, it’s drugs. Any brief hesitation or stutter, and it’s Sleepy Joe. ---
**Author:** ![outlierrn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/outlierrn/32/3005_2.png) [@outlierrn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/outlierrn)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2024, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-will-not-debate-biden-on-june-27-2024-or-thereafter-either/1002493/592 "2024-06-25T19:37:49Z")
> [@bordelond](#): > > The second possibility is Trump shows up to the debate and then, after having his microphone cut off a couple of times or hearing a question about his own behavior that he considers unfair, storms off the stage, creating a dramatic, faux-tough-guy scene he can use They need a tune for this scenario: 🎵Flounce, Flounce, he’s heading on out, Trump is the guy we can do without, so go on. 🎵 ---
**Author:** ![Biffster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biffster/32/339_2.png) [@Biffster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffster)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2024, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-will-not-debate-biden-on-june-27-2024-or-thereafter-either/1002493/593 "2024-06-25T19:50:20Z")
> [@Akaj](#): > > Second, there are no drugs that can transform a doddering old man with dementia into an energetic, forceful speaker with a sharp intellect If there were, where could a guy get a hold of some of these drugs? Asking for a friend. Someone could make millions off of them. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Drake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Dr.Drake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Drake)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2024, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-will-not-debate-biden-on-june-27-2024-or-thereafter-either/1002493/594 "2024-06-25T19:54:26Z")
> [@DavidNRockies](#): > > To me, it breaks down like this: > > - Biden is calm, measured, thoughtful, intelligent, deliberative, and mature → endless refrains of “Sleepy Joe;” > - Biden is vigorous, animated, erudite, lucid, has an excellent command of policy and issues, and never lacks for a scathing retort → “Biden’s on DRUGS!” > > In that regard, Biden can’t win. This is very similar to what has been used against women (including Clinton) since forever: Too bossy or too weak: no middle ground Too shrill or too passive: no middle ground and, of course, the classic slut or prude: no middle ground It’s insidious, but also a very effective strategy once you can establish the pattern. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2024, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-will-not-debate-biden-on-june-27-2024-or-thereafter-either/1002493/595 "2024-06-25T20:03:09Z")
> [@Biffster](#): > > If there were, where could a guy get a hold of some of these drugs? Hunter? ---
**Author:** ![ShadowFacts](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shadowfacts/32/2934_2.png) [@ShadowFacts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShadowFacts)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2024, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-will-not-debate-biden-on-june-27-2024-or-thereafter-either/1002493/596 "2024-06-25T20:34:24Z")
> [@outlierrn](#): > > 🎵Flounce, Flounce, he’s heading on out, > Trump is the guy we can do without, so go on. 🎵 Next part: 🎵Pout, Pout, let him walk out, Trump can’t do shit except whine and shout, so fuck off… I’m talking to Trump - fuck off 🎵 ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2024, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-will-not-debate-biden-on-june-27-2024-or-thereafter-either/1002493/597 "2024-06-25T20:43:06Z")
Anyone think there should be a clean thread about the actual debate or will this one do? ---
**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:** [June 25, 2024, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-will-not-debate-biden-on-june-27-2024-or-thereafter-either/1002493/598 "2024-06-25T20:47:44Z")
My preference would be for a new, clean thread. I look forward to this one becoming out of date. No offense intended to anyone! ---
**Author:** ![SuntanLotion](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/suntanlotion/32/16165_2.png) [@SuntanLotion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SuntanLotion)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2024, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-will-not-debate-biden-on-june-27-2024-or-thereafter-either/1002493/599 "2024-06-25T20:48:40Z")
When ( if) he debates, the title would have to take the not out. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Bravo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_bravo/32/493_2.png) [@Johnny\_Bravo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Bravo)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2024, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-will-not-debate-biden-on-june-27-2024-or-thereafter-either/1002493/600 "2024-06-25T20:49:43Z")
> [@Aspenglow](#): > > My preference would be for a new, clean thread. Likewise. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-will-not-debate-biden-on-june-27-2024-or-thereafter-either/1002493.md?page=29) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-will-not-debate-biden-on-june-27-2024-or-thereafter-either/1002493.md?page=31)