Republicans deserve the version of Trump we saw during the debate. Too bad it won't last.
Like many Americans, I dreaded tuning into the first presidential debate Thursday night. I frankly have had little interest in watching America’s two least likable old men bicker about who will have the honor of running our country into the ground.
To little surprise, my dread turned out to be entirely warranted, and the nearly two hours I spent watching the debate confirmed that neither of these men should lead our country.
Presidential debates are typically a place for Americans to learn more about the two candidates, particularly how they want to contrast themselves from the other. Instead, this time around, Americans got two old men debating their golf game on the national stage.
However, among the absurdity, America did learn a few things. Namely, that Donald Trump can at least pretend to be presidential when he needs to, even if we all know it's temporary.
Trump was surprisingly un-Trumpian during the presidential debate
Trump was his typical braggadocious self but remained surprisingly in line with the stringent debate rules. It helped that he couldn’t interrupt even if he wanted to, as the candidates' microphones were muted when it wasn't their turn to speak. But it may have been the right strategic choice regardless for any hopes of showing voters he's not always unhinged.
In the 2016 debates against Hillary Clinton, Trump was more outgoing because he needed to be. Trump’s target demographics loved to see a political outsider lay into one of the establishment's figureheads. In the 2020 debates, Trump took a similar approach, and he looked out of his element when Biden wasn’t engaging with the back-and-forth that Trump desperately sought. That helped voters see Trump as the loser.
Biden disappoints in debate: Biden's disastrous debate creates a mirage of Trump competency. It's all lies.
Fast-forward to 2024. President Joe Biden was visibly frail on stage, repeatedly losing his train of thought and becoming flustered. Trump didn’t need to interrupt Biden. It was better for the former president to let the current president speak.
Of the two old men running for office, it was clear who was sharper. And while Biden gained momentum as the debate went on, his disastrous first 10 minutes will surely be the most memorable.
Why isn't Trump always like he was Thursday night?
My question is this: Why can’t Republicans always get this version of Trump?
These are all relative terms, but during the debate, he remained calm and reserved. Multiple friends of mine during the debate told me he seemed “presidential,” and while I wouldn’t go that far, it's surprising to hear that term used to describe him.
When people think of Trump, the words "arrogant" and "egotistical" are at the top of the list.
His MAGA persona has helped him among his die-hard fans but is extremely off-putting to moderates and even to many potential Republican voters, like me, who would love for him to be more committed to traditional Republican values.
At this point in his political career, it may be too late to change his public perception drastically. However, if Trump can consistently bring out this side of himself in the next debate and leading up to the election, some Republicans reluctant to vote for him may be more willing to stomach it.
If Trump would drop his ridiculous MAGA persona and put on his debate face all the time, even I might consider voting for him. Despite being adamantly against a second Trump presidency, I'm a lot closer to Trump than to Biden at this point.
It's too bad his conduct before, during and after his presidency continues to disqualify Trump in my eyes.
Why is Biden still running? Biden has no business running for president. The debate proved it.
Trump won the debate, but his past is still a problem for me
While the debate moderators were asking Trump about his many scandals, Biden was able to hit on the major notes, namely Trump’s felony conviction and the ridiculous claims of voter fraud following the 2020 election.
However, I bet Biden wishes he were more prepared to drill Trump about his past. Forcing Trump to say on a presidential debate stage “I didn’t have sex with a porn star” was certainly a ridiculous moment, but I’m not sure it was enough to sway voters.
Trump’s character is a known thing, but the more Americans see Biden’s cognitive decline, the more difficult it is to deny.
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In a high-stakes presidential debate, the most astute person on stage was moderator Jake Tapper. I think that says enough about the saddening choice that Americans face.
I’ve said several times I am not voting for either of these candidates, and my mind has not been swayed whatsoever. Neither of these men is fit to be in office, and I am simply tired of having to listen to Biden and Trump bicker.
Dace Potas is an opinion columnist for USA TODAY and a graduate of DePaul University with a degree in political science.
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Trump won the debate. He should always act like that
