Return to Transcripts main page

CNN News Central

Stage Set for Tonight's High-Stakes Showdown Between Biden and Trump; Biden Arrives in Atlanta Ahead of First Presidential Debate. Aired 3:30-4p ET

Aired June 27, 2024 - 15:30   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

[15:30:00]

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN HOST: President Biden's advisers have been closely monitoring what former President Trump and his allies have been publicly saying here in recent days. The Biden team suspects that Trump has done more preparation than ever heading into a debate, despite what they have been saying from his camp. They've also taken note of how over the last few days, Trump allies have shifted their tune on how they think Biden will perform.

All right, we have CNN's Harry Enten with us yet again. OK, so, you know, who do voters think is going to do well?

HARRY ENTEN, CNN SENIOR DATA REPORTER: It's the expectations game. Can you outperform expectations? So what do voters think heading into tonight? Who will do well in tonight's debate?

Well, the majority of voters think Donald Trump's going to do well. Look at that, 59 percent. Less than a majority, however, for the current president, 48 percent. But of course, it's all about those undecided voters, right? Those people who might change their mind because of tonight's debate.

Well, on this score, they both do worse. But again, you see more undecided voters think that Donald Trump's going to do better than Joe Biden is. And so you can look at that and you say, Joe Biden, well, you know, the fact is voters may not think that much of me.

But the floor, it's so low. It's so low. So he can't help but potentially exceed expectations.

KEILAR: This makes sense why Trump has been saying what he's been saying. That makes so much sense. OK, how unusual is it that you actually have the incumbent being the underdog going into a debate?

ENTEN: Yes, so you see this going on right here. And I was just going to myself, you know, I can't ever recall when an incumbent was the underdog. And you can go all the way back, all the incumbents in this 21st century.

George W. Bush was a favorite in 2004 over John Kerry.

[15:35:OO] Barack Obama, a very heavy favorite over Mitt Romney going in that first debate in 2012. Last time around, Donald Trump was only the tiniest favorite at one point, but still a slight favorite.

This time around, however, look at this. Donald Trump, the challenger, is the favorite. This is extremely unusual. Normally, folks think the incumbent is going to do pretty well, right? Because they're the president. They're somebody that they're used to. They can see them being in the Oval Office. But the fact of the matter is this particular cycle goes against that grain. And so maybe Joe Biden coming in this debate, you know, perhaps trailing a little bit, but no clear leader nationally, not doing as well in the swing states as he was four years ago.

The expectations game is on his side, because the fact is the expectations for him are so low, maybe he can't help but exceed them.

KEILAR: These expectations are actually, they're not working for Trump, which is, I mean, look, go through this, right? George W. Bush, he did well.

Obama, not great on his, let's say, back to 2012 on his first debate against Romney, but he certainly picked it up. Here, it is really not working for Trump.

ENTEN: It's not working for him. It's not working for him. The expectations, he's raised the bar too high for himself and maybe not enough for Joe Biden. We'll see what happens.

KEILAR: Yes, I guess you could say his attacks on Joe Biden are working, and maybe that's what it is, too, as well. All right, Harry, thank you so much. I really, really appreciate it.

The stage is set. Literally, just how high are the stakes? We're going to talk to a longtime pollster about the connection between debates and how people actually vote in November.

[15:40:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN HOST: Tonight's debate is shaping up to be one of the most anticipated presidential debates ever. And it could shake up the race for the White House like no other. The question is exactly by how much.

Pollster and communications strategist Frank Luntz is here to discuss just how much presidential debates can move the needle at the ballot box. Frank, thank you so much for joining us this afternoon. You've said that this will be the biggest moment of the campaign cycle thus far.

But you know that news cycles quickly, right? They're still five months out before Election Day. So what kind of effect could that kind of timing have here? FRANK LUNTZ, POLLSTER AND COMMUNICATIONS STRATEGIST: Well, it's true that this is early. We've never had a debate this early ever in modern American politics. However, the idea of Donald Trump and Joe Biden at the same time, on the same stage, addressing the same issues, that is what changes. That is what makes this so significant.

Voters will see them side by side, not campaign ads, not speeches, the actual policies themselves. They'll be able to see whether Joe Biden is ready for another four years. They'll be able to see whether Donald Trump can actually keep his temper under control.

The fact that it's happening now, I can't imagine a more important moment but I do want to clarify one thing. There's only 4 percent of Americans that are truly undecided. And there are really only three states that matter. Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin. So the truth is about one third of 1 percent of America is what matters.

But it's so likely that they're going to be watching tonight to see the comparison, that that's what makes this evening so significant.

SANCHEZ: It's so interesting when you put it that way, that this election comes down to such a narrow, narrow margin. You have also alluded to the idea that these candidates have to have a winning one- liner. So if you were writing for either President Biden, former President Trump, and you were trying to encapsulate their message and break through the spin and get reposted on social media or perhaps even become a meme, what would your one-liner for each of them be?

LUNTZ: Let me do this because this is what's essential. And this works for both candidates at the same time. The very first thing is they need to be able to ask a rhetorical question that has no answer for the other side.

For Donald Trump, are you better off today than you were four years ago? Most Americans would say no. Do you have more money in your pocket today than you did four years ago? Most Americans will say no.

For Joe Biden, do you feel safer, more secure? Are you tired of the chaos of the previous administration? Would you like some calm, some predictability in your life? It's the unanswerable rhetorical question.

Second, they have to have three unassailable successes. For Biden, it's getting through COVID. For Donald Trump, it's securing the border. So the issues are different, but the strategy is the same.

Third, what are your key priorities for the future? Because in the end, it's not the last four years that Americans will be voting on. It's the next four.

Give me three examples. One is random. Two is a trend. Three is proof.

And finally, one audacious mission. Something that comes from out of the blue that gets people to think, wow, this individual is different, is special, is someone worthy of attention. Now, I don't believe either candidate is going to do either of those instructions. But that is exactly what the candidate should be doing. And exactly what I'd be advising them, knowing that I've tested 30 out of the 32 presidential debates in my lifetime.

SANCHEZ: I do want to point out, this is kind of out of the blue.

[15:45:00]

President Biden making an unexpected stop in downtown Atlanta to greet supporters. I believe I saw a congressman from California there as well. The president being met by a welcoming crowd before making his way over to the CNN studios to prep for the debate.

Of course, we are tracking his movements. Donald Trump is expected to be on his way shortly.

Frank, getting back to President Biden, expectations for him are somewhat low. There was a New York Times poll that found less than half of Americans think he is going to perform well tonight. Would it simply take him exceeding those expectations for him to win the debate?

LUNTZ: We've seen this happen before. It happened in 1976. Gerald Ford, in the first debate, exceeded expectations and narrowed the gap.

In 2000, George W. Bush, the expectations were very low. He put forward a very strong performance, exceeded expectations.

I don't see how Joe Biden doesn't exceed expectations because Donald Trump has done a brilliant job of telling people that the guy can barely complete a sentence. So if Biden simply stands up there, talks with these four items here, and does so efficiently and effectively, he's going to exceed expectations. I think this is an inherently bad strategy in the Trump campaign, and I think that Biden is going to benefit from it.

But remember, the most important thing is not exceeding expectations. Are you likable? Are you presentable? Are you credible? People are going to be looking at what kind of person you are. The truth is, we don't vote on policy.

I know that people's heads explode, but it's true. We're not voting on the details of policy. We're voting on character, attributes, who you are as a human being, and that's going to be critical.

Does Donald Trump lose his cool? Does Joe Biden blow a stack? That's what the audience will be looking for.

And in the end, it's the person that's going to make my day-to-day life better. That is the final decision in all of this. Who's going to improve my day-to-day quality of life? That's the person who gets the vote.

SANCHEZ: Frank Luntz, always great to get your perspective. We appreciate you sharing part of your day with us. We are watching an unexpected stop for President Biden. He arrived at

Dobbins Air Reserve Base in Marietta, Georgia a couple of hours ago. No, just about an hour ago or so. And he made his way to downtown Atlanta. You hear the crowd. They're chanting, four more years. The president soon on his way to the CNN studio for what will be a historic debate with former President Donald Trump just about five hours from now.

We're going to take a quick break. Stay with CNN. We'll be right back.

[15:50:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KEILAR: All right, President Biden meeting with supporters here in Atlanta. He touched down not too long ago in Marietta, just outside of Atlanta, and made this previously unannounced stop to meet with supporters, get a little, you know, clearly some good feelings going before what is really a big night. Could be a huge, pivotal night, this debate here in Atlanta and in this key swing state.

SANCHEZ: Yes, this stop was not on the schedule, but it appears to have been coordinated because you've got a congressman there taking a picture of President Biden. You've got folks with Let's Go Joe shirts, apparently a cardboard aviator cutout, his signature choice of sun wear.

This is obviously a major moment for President Biden, because as we've been discussing all afternoon, this campaign has been pretty much locked within the margin of error between these two candidates and with President Biden, if you include third party candidates lagging behind former President Donald Trump.

So his campaign is eager for a moment that will distinguish him tonight and that will dispel any doubts about his ability and his mental acuity, despite being the oldest president to hold the office in U.S. history.

KEILAR: Yes, that's right. And we have CNN's Jeff Zeleny, who's joining us now ahead of what is going to be a very big night for Joe Biden and for former President Donald Trump -- Jeff.

JEFF ZELENY, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: It certainly is, and it's no accident that President Biden is arriving here to Atlanta to some smiling faces, some adoring fans and supporters. Clearly trying to make the case that, yes, he does have loyal supporters here, and also to make the case that the backdrop of this debate is Georgia. Georgia, of course, was one of the closest battleground states in 2020. So that's where this conversation picks up right now.

So clearly, this was not announced, but this was certainly planned by the Biden campaign to perhaps pump him up a little bit, to show him that he has support here before he spends a little bit of time, downtime, doing final preparations for the debate. Former President Donald Trump, for his part, also will be heading here

to Atlanta shortly, flying up from Mar-a-Lago in Florida. Of course, Georgia, again, was decided by fewer than 12,000 votes out of 5 million votes cast.

So yes, a global audience, a national audience, but voters right here in Atlanta paying very careful attention to this.

I am in the spin room. As you can see, there are reporters and journalists from around the globe here. And this is where the campaigns will make their pitches.

[15:55:00]

This is where the candidates, after the debate is over, the advisors will pick up and say how their candidates did.

Interestingly, the presidents, the former president, the current president will be alone on stage. They cannot talk to their advisors. They cannot have any conversations during those 90 minutes. But it's right here in the spin room afterward, where both sides will be sort of saying how it went for them.

So there's no doubt that all eyes are on Atlanta. The biggest moment of the 2024 campaign so far. Guys, I did a check. Election Day, 131 days away from today.

SANCHEZ: 131 days away.

KEILAR: So close, yet so far away.

SANCHEZ: In the blink of an eye. But it also underscores the fact that this is the earliest debate that we've ever seen. There's still about five months to go before the election.

Jeff Zeleny, I imagine you're going to have a busy night out there in the spin room. We wish you the best of luck, my friend.

ZELENY: You bet. Take care.

SANCHEZ: So this is obviously a huge moment for not only these two candidates, but in American history. And I mean, what else can you say? You've never had a sitting president go up against a former president, let alone these two that have such a history.

KEILAR: Let alone this early when the numbers are what they are. And they're both looking for a moment to distinguish themselves. We've seen debates like this give one of these candidates potentially a big bump. And they're hoping for that tonight.

SANCHEZ: Yes. Stay with CNN. Obviously a lot to cover.

Our special coverage continues with Wolf Blitzer and Kaitlan Collins after a quick break. Thanks for joining us.