Former White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki raises concerns about the possibility of the Trump-Biden debates falling apart due to objections from former President Trump. She also analyzes the Biden team's strategy in challenging Trump to the debates.
Former White House press secretary Jen Psaki has expressed skepticism about the scheduled debates between President Biden and former President Trump, warning that Trump could easily object to the terms set forth by the Biden team, causing the debates to collapse.
"I'm still a skeptic, a little bit," Psaki said in an interview Wednesday on "Pod Save America." "Trump could certainly say, 'I never agreed to those terms in the letter,' and he probably will. That's how this all falls apart."
Biden and Trump agreed on Wednesday morning to two debates, one on June 27 hosted by CNN and a second on Sept. 10 hosted by ABC. Biden quoted Trump's words back at him when he offered the debate terms: "As you said: anywhere, any time, any place."
Psaki believes that the Biden team felt forced to challenge Trump to a debate due to internal pressure and to avoid giving the impression that Biden was "responding to Trump."
She also praised the Biden team for presenting a list of rules for the debates, including having them occur inside a TV studio with microphones that automatically cut off when a speaker's time limit elapses.
Psaki discussed the perception of Biden as "Sleepy Joe" and how agreeing to debates could potentially dispel such criticism. However, she quipped that Biden appeared to be on drugs during his State of the Union address in March.
Psaki believes that the debates could be a chaotic affair given the current political climate and the challenges facing Biden on both the domestic and international fronts.
She said, "It feels chaotic. And it feels a little weak that he can't unilaterally make all these things calm."
Psaki's skepticism highlights the potential obstacles facing the Trump-Biden debates and raises questions about whether they will ultimately take place. The Biden and Trump campaigns have been contacted for comment.
