Biden Advised by Former Clinton Aide to Decline Debates Against Donald Trump

Joe Biden’s 2020 presidential campaign has been an unorthodox one by just about any standard that you could imagine, partially due to the ongoing tumult of the coronavirus crisis, and partially due to Biden’s own ridiculous inability to string coherent sentences together.

The former Vice President had always been known for his gaffes, having long held a reputation for a bit of absent-minded marble-mouthedness, but 2020’s gobbledygook is a far cry from the innocent slip-ups of the past.  Many see Biden as ill, or, at the very least declining in cognitive ability, and this has led to fears that perhaps he isn’t mentally well enough to lead the nation.

Now, with less than 100 days until the election itself, some close to Biden are suggesting that he err on the side of  caution and refuse to debate Donald Trump, using the excuse that Trump’s time behind the lectern would be used disingenuously.

Joe Lockhart, a former press secretary for President Bill Clinton, is publicly advising former Vice President Joe Biden not to debate President Donald Trump.

Lockhart published an op-ed last week at CNN.com warning Biden that he should not debate Trump because the latter is prone to statement that fail the fact-checking test (original emphasis):

“Whatever you do, don’t debate Trump. Trump has now made more than 20,000 misleading or false statements according to the Washington Post. It’s a fool’s errand to enter the ring with someone who can’t follow the rules or the truth. Biden will undoubtedly take heat from Republicans and the media for skipping the debates. But it’s worth the risk as trying to debate someone incapable of telling the truth is an impossible contest to win.”

Biden’s team has long insisted, quite publicly, that the former veep will debate circles around Donald Trump, having made such claims frequently and ferociously.  To back out now would wave a white flag that even the most hardened Democrats wouldn’t be able to ignore.