Trump's supporters urge him to be disciplined in the debate, avoiding being 'unhinged'
The difficulty lies in ensuring that the former president adheres to the prepared remarks.
TroibNews 
Tuesday’s debate represents a critical opportunity for former President Donald Trump to regain his footing in the presidential race.
However, some Republicans worry he might squander this chance, particularly if he engages in personal attacks against Vice President Kamala Harris. Influential GOP figures and his own advisers have been encouraging Trump to focus on her policy performance, yet he has shown signs of wanting to pursue a more personal line of attack.
“I assume she'll come in very, very aggressive, and she will try to bait him, getting very angry, and she'll be personal and try to demean him,” said former House Speaker Newt Gingrich. “I think, I hope, what he'll do is be a guy who's been a real president — while she has been kind of a semi-vice president — and a guy who knows all the world leaders, and a guy who has been through an enormous amount, and just be calm and steady and stick to the real differences.”
Supporters of Trump, known for his unscripted and often bombastic style, hope for a more disciplined approach this time.
"I think — I pray — he can be disciplined,” remarked Tricia McLaughlin, a Republican strategist voicing concerns about Trump’s impulse for personal attacks.
But she acknowledged the difficulty of achieving that. “If Trump feels like he’s backed into a corner and feels like it’s three on one, that could be a problem,” she noted, highlighting the risk of him reacting vigorously if he feels attacked by both Harris and the debate’s moderators, David Muir and Linsey Davis from ABC.
With previous comments from Trump expressing doubt about ABC’s impartiality—calling the network “dishonest” and the “worst network in terms of fairness”—McLaughlin has reason to question his debate strategy. When Trump was approached by podcaster Lex Fridman about focusing on a “positive vision of the future versus criticizing the other side,” he seemed to reject that idea.
“Yeah, I think you have to criticize though,” Trump said in an episode released Tuesday. “I think they’re nasty.”
In the past, he has claimed he is “entitled to personal attacks” on Harris after facing backlash for his comments on her racial identity.
Republicans have been cautioning against this tactic. Sen. Lindsey Graham, a Trump ally, expressed in a recent New York Times op-ed that “Every day that the candidates trade insults is a good day for [Harris] because it’s one less day that she has to defend the failures of the Biden-Harris administration.”
“Far more worthwhile for Mr. Trump is his record of success,” Graham added. “The road to the White House runs through a vigorous policy debate, not an exchange of barbs.”
Rep. Don Bacon, a Nebraska Republican whose district is crucial for the Electoral College, stated that Trump’s focus on matters like “DEI, race, coming up with nicknames — that doesn't play well in this district. They want to talk about the issues. This is an issue district."
Trump’s debate preparation team includes Rep. Matt Gaetz along with advisers Chris LaCivita, Susie Wiles, and Jason Miller, as reported by a Trump ally.
A Trump campaign official, speaking anonymously, indicated that the former president is working with senior staff and allies to find the best way to contrast his record with Harris’s during the debate. Yet, the official mentioned that preparations might be minimal. Trump is “simply reviewing policy specifics” he thinks will resonate with voters, the official stated, aiming to showcase his tenure compared to “Kamala Harris’ four years as co-pilot.”
“President Trump does unscripted interviews with a variety of outlets, including new media outlets online, he gives unscripted hour-plus press conferences, he gives speeches that include a lot of material, extemporaneously,” the official claimed. “The idea that he has to ‘prepare for a debate’ is absurd.”
The official did not comment on whether Trump’s advisers are urging him to avoid personal attacks during the debate. At a recent rally in North Carolina, Trump humorously remarked that he should “fire” advisers who recommend steering clear of personal insults against Harris.
“Most voters have a locked-in view of Trump, so it’s not like his performance will radically change views. He just needs to not be overly aggressive and create a permission structure for swing voters fed up with the economy and the border to vote for him," noted a close ally of Trump, who requested anonymity to discuss strategy. "The debate is far more consequential for Kamala Harris because voters don’t have a solidified view of her yet.”
GOP consultant Ryan Williams suggested Trump should avoid “appearing unhinged” while trying to present Harris as too liberal.
“This is the last real inflection point that we know about. After this, there’s not really a big moment” to change the trajectory of the race, Williams stated.
Trump would likely benefit from replicating his debate strategy against Biden, where he focused on policy rather than personal attacks despite mocking Biden’s capabilities.
However, Harris is expected to be a tougher opponent. Gingrich commented on her previous assertiveness during her Senate confrontation with Justice Brett Kavanaugh.
“She can be aggressive,” Gingrich acknowledged. “She can be tough.”
This sentiment is echoed by Republicans familiar with her from her California political career. Rob Stutzman, a Republican consultant from California, warned, “Harris will want to make personality the issue, which is hard for him to resist, but it will be a bad night for him if he falls back on hurling absurd insults at Harris.”
“She can deliver a set piece in a debate,” Stutzman assessed. “Will he be able to resist taking the bait? Doubt it. He'll more likely be like a lab rat hitting the cocaine pan instead of the food pan.”
Kellyanne Conway, a former adviser to Trump, expressed that viewers are already well-acquainted with him.
"There's no unplowed ground when it comes to Donald Trump,” she said. “It’s all been said and done. Kamala repeating the same shopworn soundbites will make her seem like a cable news pundit, not a commander in chief. America is still getting to know her, and while that's helped her in the short term, it's a risk for her in the long run."
Brett Doster, a Republican political consultant in Florida who worked on Jeb Bush’s 2016 presidential campaign, advised Trump to avoid personal attacks and focus purely on issues like the economy and border security.
“To be most potent, Trump could reel off a string of statements Harris said then versus now to show her untrustworthy on these issues,” Doster noted. “But to do that, he has to get out of his shoot-from-the-hip comfort zone and prepare.”
In a recent New Hampshire radio interview, Trump asserted that he has “been preparing all my life for this debate.”
“I have meetings on it, we talk about it. But there’s not a lot you can do” to prepare, he clarified. “Either you know your subject or not, either have good policy or not. She’s changed every policy.”
There is a history of concern among Republicans regarding Trump’s demeanor in debates. Following his first debate with Biden in 2020, many allies acknowledged that his heckling and interruptions may have backfired. In contrast, his more restrained approach during this year's initial debate, when Biden appeared to struggle, worked to his advantage.
However, this debate presents new challenges for Trump. He is not only facing a new contender, but also entering the debate in a precarious position in battleground state polls.
Alex Conant, who was communications director for Marco Rubio’s 2016 campaign, observed, “given the unprecedented nature of Harris’ ascendancy,” Trump finds himself in unfamiliar circumstances where he may not be the primary draw for viewers during Tuesday’s debate.
“Trump is used to being the star. Now for the first time, he has to share the stage with another politician generating huge crowds,” Conant explained. “I suspect he won’t be comfortable with that. What will he do to reclaim the spotlight and regain momentum?”
Jessica Kline contributed to this report for TROIB News
However, some Republicans worry he might squander this chance, particularly if he engages in personal attacks against Vice President Kamala Harris. Influential GOP figures and his own advisers have been encouraging Trump to focus on her policy performance, yet he has shown signs of wanting to pursue a more personal line of attack.
“I assume she'll come in very, very aggressive, and she will try to bait him, getting very angry, and she'll be personal and try to demean him,” said former House Speaker Newt Gingrich. “I think, I hope, what he'll do is be a guy who's been a real president — while she has been kind of a semi-vice president — and a guy who knows all the world leaders, and a guy who has been through an enormous amount, and just be calm and steady and stick to the real differences.”
Supporters of Trump, known for his unscripted and often bombastic style, hope for a more disciplined approach this time.
"I think — I pray — he can be disciplined,” remarked Tricia McLaughlin, a Republican strategist voicing concerns about Trump’s impulse for personal attacks.
But she acknowledged the difficulty of achieving that. “If Trump feels like he’s backed into a corner and feels like it’s three on one, that could be a problem,” she noted, highlighting the risk of him reacting vigorously if he feels attacked by both Harris and the debate’s moderators, David Muir and Linsey Davis from ABC.
With previous comments from Trump expressing doubt about ABC’s impartiality—calling the network “dishonest” and the “worst network in terms of fairness”—McLaughlin has reason to question his debate strategy. When Trump was approached by podcaster Lex Fridman about focusing on a “positive vision of the future versus criticizing the other side,” he seemed to reject that idea.
“Yeah, I think you have to criticize though,” Trump said in an episode released Tuesday. “I think they’re nasty.”
In the past, he has claimed he is “entitled to personal attacks” on Harris after facing backlash for his comments on her racial identity.
Republicans have been cautioning against this tactic. Sen. Lindsey Graham, a Trump ally, expressed in a recent New York Times op-ed that “Every day that the candidates trade insults is a good day for [Harris] because it’s one less day that she has to defend the failures of the Biden-Harris administration.”
“Far more worthwhile for Mr. Trump is his record of success,” Graham added. “The road to the White House runs through a vigorous policy debate, not an exchange of barbs.”
Rep. Don Bacon, a Nebraska Republican whose district is crucial for the Electoral College, stated that Trump’s focus on matters like “DEI, race, coming up with nicknames — that doesn't play well in this district. They want to talk about the issues. This is an issue district."
Trump’s debate preparation team includes Rep. Matt Gaetz along with advisers Chris LaCivita, Susie Wiles, and Jason Miller, as reported by a Trump ally.
A Trump campaign official, speaking anonymously, indicated that the former president is working with senior staff and allies to find the best way to contrast his record with Harris’s during the debate. Yet, the official mentioned that preparations might be minimal. Trump is “simply reviewing policy specifics” he thinks will resonate with voters, the official stated, aiming to showcase his tenure compared to “Kamala Harris’ four years as co-pilot.”
“President Trump does unscripted interviews with a variety of outlets, including new media outlets online, he gives unscripted hour-plus press conferences, he gives speeches that include a lot of material, extemporaneously,” the official claimed. “The idea that he has to ‘prepare for a debate’ is absurd.”
The official did not comment on whether Trump’s advisers are urging him to avoid personal attacks during the debate. At a recent rally in North Carolina, Trump humorously remarked that he should “fire” advisers who recommend steering clear of personal insults against Harris.
“Most voters have a locked-in view of Trump, so it’s not like his performance will radically change views. He just needs to not be overly aggressive and create a permission structure for swing voters fed up with the economy and the border to vote for him," noted a close ally of Trump, who requested anonymity to discuss strategy. "The debate is far more consequential for Kamala Harris because voters don’t have a solidified view of her yet.”
GOP consultant Ryan Williams suggested Trump should avoid “appearing unhinged” while trying to present Harris as too liberal.
“This is the last real inflection point that we know about. After this, there’s not really a big moment” to change the trajectory of the race, Williams stated.
Trump would likely benefit from replicating his debate strategy against Biden, where he focused on policy rather than personal attacks despite mocking Biden’s capabilities.
However, Harris is expected to be a tougher opponent. Gingrich commented on her previous assertiveness during her Senate confrontation with Justice Brett Kavanaugh.
“She can be aggressive,” Gingrich acknowledged. “She can be tough.”
This sentiment is echoed by Republicans familiar with her from her California political career. Rob Stutzman, a Republican consultant from California, warned, “Harris will want to make personality the issue, which is hard for him to resist, but it will be a bad night for him if he falls back on hurling absurd insults at Harris.”
“She can deliver a set piece in a debate,” Stutzman assessed. “Will he be able to resist taking the bait? Doubt it. He'll more likely be like a lab rat hitting the cocaine pan instead of the food pan.”
Kellyanne Conway, a former adviser to Trump, expressed that viewers are already well-acquainted with him.
"There's no unplowed ground when it comes to Donald Trump,” she said. “It’s all been said and done. Kamala repeating the same shopworn soundbites will make her seem like a cable news pundit, not a commander in chief. America is still getting to know her, and while that's helped her in the short term, it's a risk for her in the long run."
Brett Doster, a Republican political consultant in Florida who worked on Jeb Bush’s 2016 presidential campaign, advised Trump to avoid personal attacks and focus purely on issues like the economy and border security.
“To be most potent, Trump could reel off a string of statements Harris said then versus now to show her untrustworthy on these issues,” Doster noted. “But to do that, he has to get out of his shoot-from-the-hip comfort zone and prepare.”
In a recent New Hampshire radio interview, Trump asserted that he has “been preparing all my life for this debate.”
“I have meetings on it, we talk about it. But there’s not a lot you can do” to prepare, he clarified. “Either you know your subject or not, either have good policy or not. She’s changed every policy.”
There is a history of concern among Republicans regarding Trump’s demeanor in debates. Following his first debate with Biden in 2020, many allies acknowledged that his heckling and interruptions may have backfired. In contrast, his more restrained approach during this year's initial debate, when Biden appeared to struggle, worked to his advantage.
However, this debate presents new challenges for Trump. He is not only facing a new contender, but also entering the debate in a precarious position in battleground state polls.
Alex Conant, who was communications director for Marco Rubio’s 2016 campaign, observed, “given the unprecedented nature of Harris’ ascendancy,” Trump finds himself in unfamiliar circumstances where he may not be the primary draw for viewers during Tuesday’s debate.
“Trump is used to being the star. Now for the first time, he has to share the stage with another politician generating huge crowds,” Conant explained. “I suspect he won’t be comfortable with that. What will he do to reclaim the spotlight and regain momentum?”
Jessica Kline contributed to this report for TROIB News
