Biden and Trump set to face off in their first showdown since 2020

>> BUCKLE UP. THIS WEEK COULD BE A WILD RIDE AND A CRITICAL TURNING POINT IN THE RACE FOR THE WHITE HOUSE. ON THURSDAY IN ATLANTA, PRESIDENT BIDEN AND DONALD TRUMP WILL FACE OFF ON THE DEBATE STAGE FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE OCTOBER OF 2020. THAT IS ACTUALLY THE LAST TIME THEY HAVE BEEN IN THE SAME ROOM. IT WILL ALSO BE THE FIRST EVER DEBATE BETWEEN A SITTING PRESIDENT AND A TWICE IMPEACHED FORMER PRESIDENT WAS BEEN CONVICTED OF FELONY CRIMES. THE GUY ON THE RIGHT. TRUMP IS ALSO AWAITING TRIAL ON THREE OTHER FEDERAL INDICTMENTS, IN CASE WERE FOLLOWING ALONG AT HOME. AND THE PRE-DEBATE DRAMA IS BUILDING. LAST NIGHT AT A RALLY IN PHILADELPHIA, THE DISGRACED FORMER PRESIDENT REPEATED THE RIDICULOUS AND FALSE ACCUSATION THAT BIDEN PLANS ON USING PERFORMANCE-ENHANCING DRUGS BEFORE THE DEBATE. >> SO LITTLE BEFORE DEBATE TIME, HE GETS A SHOT IN THE --, AND THAT IS -- WANT TO STRENGTHEN HIM UP. SO HE COMES OUT. HE WILL COME OUT -- OKAY. I SAY HE WILL COME OUT ALL JACKED UP, RIGHT? >> FOR REAL? WITH NONSENSE LIKE THIS, PERHAPS IT'S A GOOD THING THERE ARE NEW DEBATE RULES THAT COULD REIN HIM IN. THE 90 MINUTE MATCHUP WILL TAKE PLACE IN A TV STUDIO WITH NO AUDIENCE, AND EACH CANDIDATE WILL HAVE HIS MICROPHONE MUTATED UNTIL IT IS HIS TURN TO SPEAK. BUT WHO ARE WE KIDDING? YOU KNOW, I KNOW, WE ALL KNOW THAT A MUTED MIC WON'T KEEP TRUMP QUIET. THE BIDEN CAMPAIGN ALREADY SEEMS TO BE PREPARING FOR THAT. >> WHO KNOWS WHAT DONALD TRUMP IS GOING TO DO IT ANY MINUTE OR ANY TIME. I BET HE'S GOING TO TALK OVER THE MICROPHONE 1 MILLION TIMES LIKE HE DOES BECAUSE HE IS A BULLY. BUT THE BEST WAY TO FIGHT A BULLY IS TO STAND UP TO HIM. JOE BIDEN HAS DONE IT BEFORE AND HE WILL DO IT AGAIN. >> HE HAS, QUOTE, NO STRATEGY FOR THIS DEBATE EXCEPT, TO, QUOTE, MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN. TRANSLATION -- I'M GOING TO WING IT. PRESIDENT BIDEN IS IMMERSED AT DEBATE PREP AT CAMP DAVID WITH ADVISERS, INCLUDING HIS PERSONAL ATTORNEY, BOB POWER, WILL ONCE AGAIN PLAY TRUMP IN MOCK DEBATES. IN AN INTERVIEW WITH ME YESTERDAY, HE DESCRIBED PREPARATIONS AS, QUOTE, AND ATTEMPT TO REALLY GIVE THE OPPONENT A FEEL FOR WHAT THEY WOULD LIKELY FACE. AND IF PAST IS PROLOGUE, WE KNOW WHAT TO EXPECT FROM TRUMP -- UTTER CHAOS. LIKE THE KIND THAT PROMPTED THIS RESPONSE FROM BIDEN AT A 2020 DEBATE. >> VOTE NOW. >> MAKE SURE YOU IN FACT LET PEOPLE KNOW -- >> I'M NOT GOING TO ANSWER THE QUESTION -- >> THE QUESTION IS -- WILL YOU SHUT UP? >> TRUMP'S ANNOYING TACTICS ARE NOTHING NEW. BACK IN 2016 DURING HIS SECOND PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE AGAINST -- HILLARY CLINTON, TRUMP'S DR. AROUND THE STAGE LIKE A MALEVOLENT LAND SHARK AS SHE ADDRESSED VOTERS. AND HIS CHILDLIKE BEHAVIOR CONTINUED IN THEIR THIRD DEBATE, DURING A HEATED DISCUSSION ABOUT RUSSIAN PRESIDENT VLADIMIR PUTIN. >> FROM EVERYTHING I SEE, HE HAS NO RESPECT FOR THIS PERSON. >> WILL THAT'S BECAUSE HE RATHER HAVE A PUPPET AS PRESIDENT. AND IT'S PRETTY CLEAR -- >> YOU ARE A PUPPET. >> SO WITH THAT KIND OF PETULANT, UNHINGED BEHAVIOR COMING AT YOU, HOW DO YOU EVEN BEGIN TO PREPARE? MY NEXT GUEST IS THE PERFECT PERSON TO ANSWER THIS QUESTION. JOINING ME NOW, FORMER DEPUTY ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF STATE AND FORMER SPOKESPERSON FOR SENATOR HILLARY CLINTON. HE ALSO PLAYED DONALD TRUMP AND HILLARY CLINTON'S 2016 MOCK DEBATE SESSION. WELCOME BACK TO THE SUNDAY SHOW. TWO THINGS WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT. FIRST THING, THIS ACCUSATION THAT PRESIDENT BIDEN IS GOING TO USE PERFORMANCE-ENHANCING DRUGS, THIS IS NOT NEW. TRUMP ME THE SAME ACCUSATION AGAINST HILLARY CLINTON IN 2016 . CALLING FOR HER TO TAKE -- >> HE DID IT AFTER STATE OF THE UNION. THE REASON HE IS DOING IT IS BECAUSE HE VERY STUPIDLY, ALONG WITH HIS CAMPAIGN AND THE REPUBLICAN PARTY AND THE RIGHT- WING AT LARGE, HAVE GONE WITH THIS TALKING POINT THAT JOE BIDEN CAN'T STAND UP STRAIGHT FOR 90 MINUTES. THAT IS GOING TO FALL OVER AT THE PODIUM. THEY ARE REALIZING THAT THAT IS NOT ACTUALLY A GOOD THING TO KEEP SAYING, BECAUSE THAT'S NOT WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN. WITH A FEW DAYS LEFT, HE'S TRYING TO DO THIS 182 ASKED LANE, HE'S GOING TO BE PERKY AND REALLY GOOD. SAME EXACTING AFTER THE STATE OF THE UNION. THEY DIDN'T THINK YOU WOULD MAKE IT THROUGH 75 MINUTES. NOT ONLY DID HE MAKE IT, HE KNOCKED IT OUT OF THE PARK. >> SO AS WE GO, HEADING INTO THURSDAY, AND THE PRESIDENT IS AT CAMP DAVID AND ON BREAKDOWN AND PREPARING. HOW HAS TRUMP CHANGED SINCE YOU PREPARED HILLARY CLINTON FOR A DEBATE? >> IN 2016, I WOULD START WITH THE FACT THAT HIS CAMPAIGNS HAVE CHANGED, IN THE SENSE OF WHAT HIS MESSAGE IS. ULTIMATELY, A DEBATE WHILE IT'S IN FRONT OF A LARGE AUDIENCE YOU WILL BE SPEAKING TO DURING THE GENERAL ELECTION CAMPAIGN, SHOULD BE CONSISTENT WITH WHAT YOU ARE SAYING DAY TODAY. FUNDAMENTALLY, HE WAS TALKING ABOUT IMMIGRATION, HE WAS TALKING ABOUT OBAMA CARE, JOBS GOING SOUTH. OBVIOUSLY, HE WAS ATTACKING HILLARY LEFT AND RIGHT. THERE WAS A CONSISTENCY BETWEEN HIS DEBATE PERFORMANCE AND HIS CAMPAIGN MESSAGE. IF YOU FAST-FORWARD TO 2020, THE GUY HAD NO MESSAGE. HE WAS JUST AN ANGRY, ANGRY MAN. HE WAS UPSET ABOUT RUSSIA. HE WAS UPSET ABOUT COVID. AND YOU KNOW, THE SHUT UP MOMENT WAS WELL DESERVED, BECAUSE HE JUST WAS A MALFUNCTIONING APPLIANCE THAT WAS SPEWING ALL THESE THINGS. SO THE QUESTION IS, YOU KNOW, SOME PEOPLE SAY -- THERE'S ONLY ONE. HE DOESN'T HAVE A STRATEGY. WHAT HE HAS IS A LIST. HE HAS A LIST OF THINGS THAT ARE ALWAYS ON HIS MIND, ALWAYS PENT UP, BECAUSE YOU POINTED OUT THE REALLY IMPORTANT PART OF THIS. THEY REALLY DON'T LIKE EACH OTHER. INC. ABOUT HOW THAT WORKS FOR SOMEONE YOU DON'T LIKE. >> SOMEBODY I DON'T LIKE? THEY ARE DEAD TO ME. >> IS WHAT HE COMPLAINED ABOUT IN 2016, WE COMPLAINED ABOUT IN 2020. IS WHAT HE COMPLAINS ABOUT NOW, HIS TRIALS AND BEING GAGGED, AND I'M SURE HE'S GOING TO COMPLAIN ABOUT BEING MUTED, PRETENDING HE DIDN'T KNOW. THEN THERE'S A THIRD BUCKET OF POLICY. NOT THAT HE HAS SUDDENLY IMMERSED HIMSELF IN THE MINUTIA, I BELIEVE HE THINKS ONE WAY TO GO AT THE PRESIDENT IS TO THROW NUMBERS AND DATA. THAT ARE PROBABLY LIES. AND JUST THROW DATA AT THE WALL, HOPING THAT IT OVERWHELMS THE PRESIDENT. THAT IS WHAT I WOULD GUESS. THE THING IS, HE DOESN'T HAVE AN ORDER, SO HE DOESN'T KNOW WHAT COMES OUT WHEN. >> IN AN INTERVIEW YOU DID IN POLITICO IN JANUARY OF 2021, SO IN THE LEAD UP TO, YOU KNOW, SOMETHING -- IT TALKS ABOUT THE LENGTHS YOU WENT TO PREPARE TO BE DONALD TRUMP. YOU WERE THREE INCH HEELS. YOU WE'RE KNEE PADS AND A BACK BRACE. BIG SUITS AND EVERYTHING. AND ANOTHER THING YOU DID AFTER WATCHING HOURS UPON HOURS OF TAPE OF DONALD TRUMP IS THAT YOU NOTICED HE NEVER MAKES EYE CONTACT. AND THAT WITH SECRETARY CLINTON, AND ONE DEBATE SESSION, YOU DID NOT LOOK AT HER FOR 5 STRAIGHT HOURS. WHAT WAS THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THAT? >> HE IS FUNDAMENTALLY A COWARD. I MEAN, IF YOU LOOK AT MITCH LANDRY SAYING THE WAY TO DO WITH A BULLY IS TO FIGHT BACK, THAT IS WHAT HE DOES. AND PART OF THAT IS, HE HAS A HARD TIME GOING AT SOME OF THE PERSONAL STUFF. IN 2020, HE WENT AFTER THE PRESIDENT ABOUT HIS BROTHER AND HUNTER ON THE CONSPIRACY STUFF AND DIGRESSED INTO SOME OTHER STUFF. BUT GENERALLY, HE IS A COWARD. AND HE SHIES AWAY FROM IT. I THINK THE PRESIDENT -- IF YOU REALLY WANT TO UNDERSTAND, LOOK AT 2020, THE FIRST DEBATE. IT'S GOING TO BE PROBABLY JOE BIDEN, SIMILAR. STRONG, VIGOROUS, HAVING STUFF TO STATE ABOUT WHAT I'VE DONE FOR YOU, AND WHAT WE ARE GOING TO DO TOGETHER GOING FORWARD. AND JUST LISTEN TO THIS GUY MALFUNCTION. BUT THERE IS THIS ELEMENT -- WE HAVEN'T HAD TWO PRESIDENTS IN 134 YEARS TRIED TO STEAL EACH OTHER'S JOB BACK AND FORTH. AND IT'S LIKE A BATON. THE ECONOMIC NUMBERS OVERLAP. THEY CAN SHAPE THESE, THEY CAN PRESENT THESE, THEY CAN CARVE THEM IN ALL SORTS OF WAYS. YOU COULD HAVE THE SMARTEST ECONOMIST UP THERE, AND -- THE MUTING ACTUALLY MIGHT HELP THE MODERATORS MORE THAN ANYONE, BECAUSE IT WILL GIVE THEM A MOMENT, OR 90 SECONDS, TO JUST RETREAT INTO SILENCE. DID HE JUST SAY THAT ABOUT INFLATION? BECAUSE I WANT TO FOLLOW UP ON THAT. >> REAL FAST, BECAUSE WE ARE OUT OF TIME. OR SOMETHING ELSE IT WAS REALLY INTERESTING. HE TAKES GREAT PRIDE IN BEING ABLE TO PREDICT WHAT TRUMP MIGHT SAY, DO, OR TWEETS BEFORE HE DOES IT. THIS IS YOUR FORMER COLLEAGUE SAYING IT WAS UNCANNY WATCHING YOU NAIL MOMENTS IN DEBATE BEFORE THEY HAPPENED. YOU STILL HAVE THAT ABILITY? >> I HAD AN ADVANTAGE, BECAUSE I WAS A NEW YORKER. IT ALSO IN 2016, NOBODY WAS PAYING ATTENTION. HE IS THE MOST PREDICTABLE PERSON. I THINK IT'S PRETTY SAFE TO SAY HE'S GOING TO COMPLAIN ABOUT THE MUTING SITUATION, EVEN THOUGH HIS CAMPAIGN AGREED TO IT, EVEN THOUGH THE MODERATORS 20 MINUTES EARLIER WILL HAVE SAID THE CAMPAIGN HAS AGREED TO THIS. IT IS EASY TO SAY WHAT HE IS GOING TO DO, AND THERE'S THINGS THAT, YOU KNOW, IF I WERE HIM, I WOULD DO THAT I DON'T WANT TO SAY OUT LOUD. >> PLEASE DON'T. >> IN THE STORY AS YOU SAW, ITSELF IF I DON'T TAKE MY MEDICATION TO FULLY CHANNEL HIM. >> ONE OTHER THING THAT IS MENTIONED IN THAT INTERVIEW FROM 2021 IS THAT YOU POINTED OUT TO THE CAMPAIGN THAT HE COMPLAINED ABOUT HIS MIC DURING HIS OWN CAMPAIGN. >> IS BEEN DOING THAT IN PRIMARIES. HE'S BEEN COMPLAINING ABOUT TELEPROMPTERS RECENTLY. HE HAS THIS THING ABOUT PLANNING ABOUT TECHNICAL ASPECTS OF HIS APPEARANCES AS YET ANOTHER WAY OF BEING AGGRIEVED. THEY ARE COMING AFTER ME TO JAIL ME.