They resolved in private that if Biden ever faced Trump on a debate stage, there would be no one in the peanut gallery.
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That demand became part of the reelection campaign’s agreed-upon proposal to Trump this week for their two general election debates, one in June the other in September. An empty TV studio could, Biden aides feel, deprive their GOP rival of a major advantage when they face off.
“Trump feeds off the crowd, they give him life,” said one Biden adviser who was granted anonymity in order to discuss internal strategy . “We wanted to take that away.”
There were several conditions that the Biden team felt were necessary in order to agree to a debate with the former president, among them that at least one forum would take place before the start of early voting and that the hosts were not from outlets with an ideological bent toward Trump. But in interviews with more than half a dozen officials and advisers who were not authorized to discuss private conversations, the issue of the crowd was consistent.
Among their concerns were that the audience noise could disadvantage Biden, who sometimes has trouble hearing amid a din. They also wanted to ensure that there was a clean tempo and cadence to the debate and that it did not turn into a shouting match or spectacle. Biden aides have envisioned using the forums to pummel Trump on abortion rights, his response to the Covid pandemic and threats to democracy. For that reason, they were also pleased that the debate would, it appears, involve microphones that can be cut off if a candidate speaks when it’s not their turn.