President Trump is considering live-tweeting during the June 26–27 Democrat debates, according to a report from the Wall Street Journal.
The Wall Street Journal, citing “people familiar with the planning,” said Trump intends to deviate from the wishes of his advisers and is “tentatively planning” on live-tweeting during the events both nights.
Reactions seem to be split. According the report, Trump’s advisers would rather see the Democrat candidates tear each other apart without distractions from the president. However, it is likely that Trump – who built his presidential legacy on speaking directly to the American people – wants America to know that he is engaged and ready to defend his position and the MAGA legacy he started.
WSJ reports:
Political advisers have long wanted Mr. Trump to tap the brakes on attacking Democratic presidential rivals, concerned that the president’s reactions would elevate contenders and provide some shield from what otherwise could be a bruising primary battle. Mr. Trump’s broadsides against former Vice President Joe Biden, for example, have coincided with polls that increasingly show voters view Mr. Biden as the most likely to deny the president a second term.
It is unlikely that Trump will ease up and pump the brakes as the 2020 race heats up. Trump, arguably, won over many supporters by sticking to his guns and issuing pointed criticisms of his opponents during the Republican primary and general election of 2016.
WSJ noted that the general plan for both debate nights remains “fluid,” adding that Trump could “change his mind” regarding his decision to live-tweet.
The debates are scheduled June 26–27 and will take place in Miami, Florida at 9:00 p.m. ET. Twenty candidates qualified to participate. The Democratic National Committee (DNC) claimed to base the candidate lineup on a “random” drawing. Of course, many immediately noticed that the lineup favored Democrat frontrunner Joe Biden (D) by moving Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) to a separate debate.
The lineup is as follows:
Debate 1: Cory Booker, Julián Castro, John Delaney, Bill de Blasio, Tulsi Gabbard, Jay Inslee, Amy Klobuchar, Beto O’Rourke, Tim Ryan, Elizabeth Warren
Debate 2: Michael Bennet, Joe Biden, Pete Buttigieg, Kirsten Gillibrand, Kamala Harris, John Hickenlooper, Bernie Sanders, Eric Swalwell, Marianne Williamson, Andrew Yang
Five notable NBC and MSNBC personalities will moderate the debates, including Lester Holt, Savannah Guthrie, Chuck Todd, Rachel Maddow, and José Diaz-Balart.