‘Be aggressive without being offensive’: GOP debate coach

(NewsNation) — The rules for next week’s presidential debate include a muted microphone for the candidate who’s not speaking. Could that save former President Donald Trump from himself and avoid a repeat of his 2020 performance?

“I think that will be a giant disincentive for Donald Trump to interrupt Joe Biden,” said GOP strategist and debate coach Brett O’Donnell.

“You have to be aggressive without being offensive, (and) when you’re interrupting constantly, people see that as offensive,” he told NewsNation’s “Elizabeth Vargas Reports.”

Four years ago, the first presidential debate was marked by Trump’s frequent interruptions of Biden, to the point where Biden told Trump to “shut up, man.” However, O’Donnell said Trump learned from the mistake and was much more controlled in the second encounter.

“If Donald Trump debates like he did in debate two (in 2020) … I think the Trump camp will think they had a great night,” he said.

Earlier this week, Trump appeared to adopt a time-honored predebate tactic: praising your opponent’s ability.

“I watched him with Paul Ryan, and he destroyed Paul Ryan,” Trump told the “All-In” podcast, referring to Biden’s vice president’s debate with Ryan in 2012.

“And he beat Paul Ryan, so I’m not underestimating him,” Trump added.

“The object is to build up your opponent so that they can’t meet those high expectations,” said O’Donnell. “We should have high expectations for Joe Biden. He is the President of the United States. He’s the incumbent.”

O’Donnell says any debate is a candidate’s chance to “frame up” the race and tell the voters why to vote for them and not the opponent. As he put it: “Make the debate about the audience.”

“It’s a messaging exercise in which you have to connect with the people – the voters at home – and give them a reason to vote for you.”