Both Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton have uncharacteristically managed to keep the number of headlines about themselves to a minimum for the past few days. That is sure to change Monday during the first presidential debate.
The two candidates are set to go head-to-head Monday evening in the first of three debates at Hofstra University in Hempstead, N.Y. The 90-minute debate will be moderated by NBC’s Lester Holt, and the candidates will be asked to comment on three specific topics, subject to change, which include “America’s direction,” “achieving prosperity” and “securing America.”
Clinton, who made no public appearances this weekend, has reportedly spent the last couple days preparing for the debate at a hotel near her home in Chappaqua, N.Y. Her campaign suggested this week that the Democratic nominee is preparing by facing off against multiple versions of Trump, who is reportedly being impersonated by longtime Clinton aide Philippe Reines, known for having a contentious personality.
“You’re not sure who is going to show up,” Jennifer Palmieri, Clinton’s communications director, said to reporters this week. “He may be aggressive or laid back.”
On Sunday, just as new polls showed Trump virtually closing the gap nationally and many battleground states at or near toss-up status, the Clinton campaign moved to set the stage for the debate, warning that Trump might benefit from foul play during the event.
Clinton’s campaign manager Roby Mook said he was concerned Trump, who has tendency to say outrageous things or make already debunked claims, would be “graded on a curve.”
Trump may be skipping mock debate prep altogether, instead reportedly opting to study footage of Clinton’s past debates and spitball ideas with campaign aides.
Despite the confidence expressed by Trump’s campaign, House Speaker Paul Ryan urged his party’s nominee Sunday to “overprepare” for the debate in the final hours because Clinton “has been doing this most of her life. She is the consummate pro.”
Also on Sunday, both Trump and Clinton had private meetings scheduled with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who was in town for the United Nations General Assembly meeting in New York.
Clinton had also been planning a visit Sunday to Charlotte, the site of daily protests in response to a fatal shooting of a black man by police. However, she postponed the visit after the city’s mayor, Jennifer Roberts, asked asked both candidates to delay any visits while the city tries to restore order and a sense of normalcy. Charlotte police released video footage of the shooting on Sunday.
While Trump made a public appearance on television and at a rally in the battleground state of Virginia on Saturday, the biggest news about the Republican nominee in the past few days happened last week, on Friday, when former rival Ted Cruz formally endorsed Trump, ending a months-long holdout.
The Texas senator insists there were no deals involved in his decision and that his family has forgiven Trump for going after his wife and father during a contentious primary. Some Republican insiders speculate he may have been concerned about his 2018 re-election prospects.
At his campaign rally in Roanoke, Va., on Saturday, Trump made an appeal to women, with whom he has struggled to gain real traction this election. He said Clinton has “done nothing” for the millions of women and children living in or near the poverty level.
Trump also responded to the Clinton campaign’s invitation of billionaire and vocal Trump critic Mark Cuban to attend the debate by extending an invitation of his own to Gennifer Flowers, a former mistress of Bill Clinton’s.
Trump’s running mate, Indiana Gov. Mike Pence reversed course Sunday, saying Flowers “will not be attending the debate.”
As for the two candidates who did not make the 15 percent polling cut for the debate Monday, they have plans to a make a scene during the event.
On Monday, Green Party nominee Jill Stein, will hold a “Let Jill Debate!” demonstration and “People’s Debate” outside of Hofstra before the debate. Afterwards, Stein’s campaign said she will “participate” in the debate via social media in a partnership with Twitter on Periscope, and livestreaming on her Facebook homepage.
Her campaign said it expects hundreds of supporters to show up to push for Stein’s entry into the debate process.
Meanwhile Libertarian nominee Gary Johnson and his running mate Bill Weld will be live tweeting the debate from Twitter’s New York City headquarters, the campaign told the Washington Examiner.
Nielson is predicting a record turnout to watch the debate tomorrow night, as many as 100 million people tuning in to watch the ultimate example of reality television.
