Sources say campaign is concerned that Trump may engage in the kind of self-sabotage that turned off voters in 2020

Sources say campaign is concerned that Trump may engage in the kind of self-sabotage that turned off voters in 2020

Donald Trump’s campaign is most concerned going into the debate against Kamala Harris with the former president’s mood, afraid that the mercurial Trump could engage in the kind of self-sabotage that turned off voters in the 2020 presidential election, according to people familiar with the situation.

The campaign’s internal refrain is whether they get “happy Trump” or “angry Trump”, the people said, as they count down the days to perhaps the final presidential debate this cycle.

Tuesday night’s televised debate is widely seen as a crux moment in the rebooted 2024 campaign. Since Joe Biden dropped out of the race after a campaign-killing debate performance crystalized fears over his age and mental acuity, Harris has turned the race on its head.

  • psvrh@lemmy.ca
    44·
    2 months ago

    Hear me out, but aren’t these people supposed to be professional?

    Wondering whether “happy” or “angry” variants of a person will show up should stop being a thing around sixteen to eighteen years of age.

    Maybe thes story should read: “Trump grossly unfit for office and the Republican party is so badly broken that they can’t manage to replace him”?

  • gravitas_deficiency@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
    44·
    2 months ago

    Honestly this is going to be the first bit of content including trump that I’m going to willingly watch for entertainment in YEARS. I anticipate Harris absolutely taking him apart.

      • Dagwood222@lemm.ee
        15·
        2 months ago

        I haven’t watched any of Trump’s speeches. I leave it to those with stronger stomachs to report for me.

        • Aniki 🌱🌿@discuss.tchncs.deEnglish
          6·
          2 months ago

          The only time I allowed that cunt to enter my earholes I spent the entire time counting the complete sentences since they were so few and far between. Still only lasted about 5 minutes before I decided that literally anything else would be a better use of my time, including staring at the same screen only powered off.

      • gravitas_deficiency@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
        10·
        2 months ago

        That’s usually my strategy, but this is the first debate in a long time that I think will be something other than a slow-motion car crash on both sides of the stage.

        This time, it’s going to be a sprint race between a competently-assembled car and a dumpster full of used fry oil that someone lit on fire. I’m anticipating that it’s going to have a TON of absurdly hilarious and memeable moments.

    • anarchrist@lemmy.dbzer0.com
      21·
      2 months ago

      Yeah, for sure. I sure hope she brings her A game and can bait him into being a psychopath, regardless of which Trump shows up. Isn’t that right, other Barry?

    • themeatbridge@lemmy.world
      6·
      2 months ago

      I had not thought about it, but I didn’t have any interest in the Biden/Trump debate. I knew what to expect, and Biden’s disappointing showing just made me bored with the whole thing.

      I’m actually excited to see Harris pick Trump apart tomorrow, and I hope she doesn’t take her foot off his neck the whole time.

      • gravitas_deficiency@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
        8·
        2 months ago

        Yep, same. I knew precisely how the Biden/Trump debate was going to pan out - actually, it went worse than I thought it would, if I’m completely honest.

        Seeing someone who is actually at/near the peak of their political game and mental aptitude just clinically disassemble the narcissistic psychopathic fascist is going to warm my heart tomorrow evening, because fascists should be given no quarter under any circumstances.

    • Blue_Morpho@lemmy.world
      17·
      2 months ago

      Angry lying Trump will appear and the press will say Trump won the debate because Harris was low energy.

      • LEDZeppelin@lemmy.world
        15·
        2 months ago

        If Harris hands his ass to him, mainstream media will label her being aggressive and crazy.

        If Harris sticks to well articulated policy answers against trumps lies and craziness, mainstream media will label her as low energy.

        Heads you lose, tails I win.

  • N0body@lemmy.dbzer0.comEnglish
    33·
    2 months ago

    I think Trump is going to snort enough of whatever he snorts that he shows up energized. What he says will be rambling nonsense, as it always is, but he’ll say it confidently. The story on the Trump side will be that he exceeded expectations, and that he’s going to gain momentum again.

    Harris is more of an X factor, but the buildup to the debate (felon vs. prosecutor) means that she has to win decisively in the eyes of both the left and the middle just to meet expectations. I hope she somehow exceeds them or has a few moments that steal the show, but it’s more likely that Trump being able to speak semi-coherently will be the top story regardless of anything Harris does.

    I hope I’m wrong.

    • krashmo@lemmy.world
      16·
      2 months ago

      I’ve been wondering the same thing for a long time now. People seem so excited to see Harris “beat” Trump in a debate but it’s obvious that will never happen in any meaningful sense. Trump’s supporters are clearly not using any traditional (or rational) metric to evaluate his public speaking and people who don’t support Trump will only find things to nitpick Harris on. I don’t see the upside for Harris unless she knocks it out of the park and that’s such a stupid situation to be in considering the obvious disparity in the quality of these two candidates.

      • GreenSkree@lemmy.world
        10·
        2 months ago

        I’m convinced our media is hell-bent on promoting Trump at any opportunity.

        I feel like Trump could do anything on that stage and the story pushed out by the media will be some weird criticism about how disappointing Harris’ performance was.

        Like, Trump could answer every single question with a rant about how cheeseburgers just aren’t as good as they used to be and no-one would bat an eye. Then the story for weeks will be about how “Harris just wasn’t detailed enough about how her economic policies. She didn’t even mention how the Distiller’s Dried Grains with Solubles (DDGS)/cash corn ratio would change per week over the next decade or two. Harris clearly is too light on the policy front.”

        I hope I’m wrong, but I’ve come to expect the worst from our media lately.

        • ysjet@lemmy.worldEnglish
          8·
          2 months ago

          Of course. The media wants outrage, scandals, they want DRAMA. A competent, viable government does not produce those.things, so they love trump. Trump is ratings, even as he burns down our nation and sells the charcoal to foreign countries.

      • timbuck2themoon@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
        4·
        2 months ago

        Yep. Im more worried than excited. I see very little opportunity that trump takes a hit and a lot of chances for Harris to falter. Of course that’s double standards considering trump is most likely dementia addled, drugged up, and has no expectation of coherence but that’s apparently just OK now to a disgustingly large amount of people.

    • finley@lemm.eeEnglish
      18·
      2 months ago

      This is my bet. She’s very good at doing that just with speeches and campaign ads. Just imagine how great she’ll do in person!

      • CharlesDarwin@lemmy.worldEnglish
        11·
        2 months ago

        Probably all she has to do is just have a moment where she emits a normal human female laugh directed at donnie.

        That seems to put donnie (and a lot of his cult) into orbit on the triggered scale. They were crying when she “cackles” at nearly anything, imagine if it’s clear that she is laughing at donnie.

  • CharlesDarwin@lemmy.worldEnglish
    12·
    2 months ago

    Wait, there is a “happy trump”? I’m not sure I’ve ever seen him do a normal human laugh and he usually just gives that weird grimace that is supposed to be a smile usually the same time as that weird thumbs-up for photo ops.

  • chemicalprophet@lemm.ee
    6·
    2 months ago

    I’m just hoping the stress causes some sort of fatal conniption. I couldn’t care less about their feelings.

  • the_crotch@sh.itjust.works
    5·
    2 months ago

    I hope they argue about their golf games for like 10 minutes like Biden and Trump did. That made me really proud to be an American and confident about our electoral process.

  • Optional@lemmy.world
    5·
    2 months ago

    “Advisers”

    lol. As if he actively listens to anyone, ever.

    “Diaper changers” yeah, say that. That’s what they are.

  • ganksy@lemmy.world
    4·
    2 months ago

    I hope there are some savoy options traders that picked this week for some puts. Unless he brings Happy Trump and some miracles, NYSE:DJT gonna make Donnie throw mustard @8:30 est.