Let the mind games begin.
Joe Biden’s campaign Tuesday denied claims by President Trump’s camp that the Democrat refused to submit to checks for an earpiece and pushed for bathroom breaks every 30 minutes.
A top Biden aide hit back by claiming that #TeamTrump pushed debate moderator Chris Wallace to avoid mentioning the specific coronavirus death toll of about 204,000 and counting.
“You see how easy it is to throw up a distraction?” Kate Bedingfield, Biden’s deputy campaign manager, told the Washington Post.
Trump campaign spokesman Tim Murtaugh claimed that Biden’s crew agreed to an ear check to ensure that neither candidate could potentially get communication from handlers during the face-off. He said without offering any evidence that Biden’s campaign abruptly reneged on the deal.
Murtaugh also asserted that Biden wanted breaks every 30 minutes, but Trump rejected the proposal.
Bedingfield scoffed at the claims and floated the assertion that Trump sought to bully Wallace into not mentioning the exact coronavirus death toll, a number that may spark a negative reaction to Trump among viewers.
Pre- and post-debate spin is a cottage industry, especially with so much on the line.
The first presidential debate is usually the most-watched and it marks one of the final chances for candidates to sway voters.
Trump is trailing in polls to Biden and may seek to pull off an attention-grabbing stunt to throw Biden off balance. The former vice president has an uneven debating record, making him an inviting target for Trump, who has mocked his front-running rival as being senile in recent weeks.
