Rep. Byron Donalds (R-FL) argued that President Joe Biden is unable to defend his performance as president during the presidential debate, which will take place this Thursday.
The debate will see Biden and former President Donald Trump, the two presumptive nominees for their respective parties, take the stage, with CNN hosting the debate with no public audience. Donalds predicted that the CNN moderators will do “everything they can to go after President Trump” but added that the former president would redirect the debate to criticize his opponent’s administration and his handling of key topics, including border security and inflation.
“I think that’s going to be the focus, that’s where the American people want to see this debate basically be executed between these two gentlemen,” Donalds said on Fox News’s Sunday Morning Futures with Maria Bartiromo. “I don’t know how Joe Biden’s going to defend his record. because he can’t. So what he’s going to try to do, in my view, talk about January 6th, talk about what happened in lower Manhattan…”
Donalds was also asked about comments made by the White House, which criticized unflattering videos of Biden by calling them “cheap fakes.” The Florida congressman harshly criticized the claims as “Orwellian language.”
The Washington Examiner reached out to the Biden campaign for comment.
Donalds is rumored to be on Trump’s short list for possible vice presidential candidates, with other rumored candidates including Gov. Doug Burgum (R-ND), Sen. J.D. Vance (R-OH), and Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY). When Donalds was asked if Trump’s support among black voters would increase if he was Trump’s running mate, he said he did not “want to predict that” but stated that he would be “a direct contrast” against Vice President Kamala Harris if he were Trump’s running mate.
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The Florida congressman previously stated that he believed he could “step in” for Trump as commander in chief, should the occasion arise.
The first debate will consist of several new rules compared to previous years, including no public audience, no pre-written notes, and candidates having their mic cut when it is not their turn to speak. A second debate is scheduled for Sept. 10, which will be hosted by ABC.
