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2mo ago

Leaked Memo Reveals Biden Advisers’ Push for Early Debate With Trump

Featured in a forthcoming book, the memo shows how advisers picked late June dates to coincide with the Dobbs anniversary to maximize audience reach.

U.S. President Joe Biden participates in the CNN Presidential Debate at the CNN Studios on June 27, 2024 in Atlanta, Georgia. President Biden and Republican presidential candidate, former U.S. President Donald Trump are facing off in the first presidential debate of the 2024 campaign.
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Overview

  • Journalists Josh Dawsey, Tyler Pager and Isaac Arnsdorf obtained a six-page April 15, 2024 memo first published by Politico Playbook and set to appear in their upcoming book.
  • Advisers picked June 26 or 27 for the first debate to coincide with the Dobbs v. Jackson anniversary and to avoid conflicts with Biden’s travel schedule.
  • The memo argued a spring debate would reach voters before early voting deadlines in battleground states and recommended two contests supplemented by informal Q&A sessions, a taped town hall and a five-day mock debate retreat at Camp David.
  • Some advisers and a major donor urged delaying or skipping debates over concerns about Biden’s age and campaign fitness.
  • Biden’s faltering performance on June 27, 2024 triggered his withdrawal and Kamala Harris’s nomination, making the memo central to campaign misstep analyses.