These are the debate ‘traps’ Republicans fear Trump may fall into

With just days to go before Donald Trump and Joe Biden face off in the first presidential debate, Republicans are concerned about the possibility of the former president walking into a trap in front of a national audience.

Fearing a repeat of the chaos of the first 2020 debate in which Trump kept interrupting and speaking over both Biden and moderator Chris Wallace, senior party figures are urging him to stay calm and follow the rules.

The issue is clearly on the former president’s mind too, as he asked supporters at a rally in Philadelphia on Saturday (June 22) whether he should be “tough and nasty” or “nice and calm” and let Biden speak.

He may not have a choice as debate rules state that when one candidate is responding to a question, the other’s microphone will be muted.

Nevertheless, Trump is being urged to tone things down for the CNN-hosted debate on June 27, The Hill reports.

Allies hope he can avoid alienating independent and swing voters with his trademark bombastic and confrontational rhetoric and demeanor. If he can resist launching into a tirade and stay on the rails, he could come out on top.

The president meanwhile has to telegraph a message of stability and competence while reminding voters of the turmoil of the Trump administration and warning about what might come in a second term.

Biden’s campaign frames Trump as “obsessed with the past, not the future” and “willing to sacrifice our democracy to put himself in power” versus their focus on building a future for the American people.

Indeed, that will likely sit squarely alongside the inescapable fact that the former president is now a convicted felon and is fighting three other indictments.

Speaking on Meet the Press on NBC on Sunday morning Biden