CNN host Fareed Zakaria recently stated that the first debate between President Biden and former President Trump could significantly impact Biden’s chances of securing a second term. During an appearance on “CNN Newsroom with Jim Acosta,” Zakaria emphasized the importance of this debate for Biden, describing it as a potentially decisive moment.
“I think it‘s a big moment for Biden. I think it’s in some ways a make-or-break,” Zakaria remarked. “He has a lot more to gain or lose from this.”
Host Jim Acosta highlighted Zakaria’s recent commentary, which gained widespread attention, noting the challenges Biden faces as his polling numbers decline in comparison to Trump. Acosta questioned whether Biden could use the debates to reverse this trend.
Zakaria suggested that Biden needs to adopt an underdog mentality for the debate, acknowledging the difficulty of doing so as the sitting president. “He has to approach this as if he‘s the underdog, as if he‘s coming from behind, which is all true, but it‘s hard for the president of the United States to think that way. It‘s one of the reasons presidents have typically done badly in debates, particularly in the first debate.”
He referenced then-President Obama’s unexpectedly poor performance in his first debate against Mitt Romney, now a senator from Utah, to illustrate his point. Zakaria explained that presidents often struggle in debates because they are accustomed to an environment where their opinions are rarely challenged.
Zakaria argued that Biden must use the debate to demonstrate energy and command. “Biden has to take this opportunity to be very feisty,” he said. “He is really behind on the question of who is more competent, and I believe that there‘s a 25-point drop from the 2020 rates for Biden. That is about energy, that’s about your ability to show that you‘re in command, you‘re in control, so it‘s a big moment for Biden.”
Concluding his remarks, Zakaria described the debate as a last opportunity for Biden and predicted it would be one of the most closely watched debates in American history. “I think this will be one of the most widely and closely watched debates in American history.”
