What you need to know for tonight’s debate: From the Politics Desk

Welcome to the online version of From the Politics Desk, an evening newsletter that brings you the NBC News Politics team’s latest reporting and analysis from the campaign trail, the White House and Capitol Hill.

In today’s edition, "Meet the Press" moderator breaks down what to watch for in tonight's debate. Plus, Natasha Korecki and Ben Kamisar share the lessons they learned from watching 19 past debate performances from Joe Biden and Donald Trump.

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What to watch for in tonight’s debate

By Kristen Welker

The first 2024 debate between President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump will provide plenty of moments of opportunity and potential peril for both candidates. As the moderator of Biden and Trump’s last debate, I will be watching for some particular exchanges that could sway the small group of undecided voters who will be decisive in the election.

1. Which Trump will show up? As I prepared to moderate the final 2020 debate, one question loomed large: Would Trump deliver the same bombastic performance he displayed in the first debate? Trump’s allies urged him to show more restraint in the second debate, and he did.

The former president’s inner circle is advising him to repeat that performance tonight, according to multiple Trump allies. One of them said that includes allowing Biden to speak at length, which Trump’s team believes could lead to moments that suggest to viewers that Biden is not capable of serving another term. Trump advisers also want him to attack Biden on such issues as the economy and border security.

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2. Is Biden able to reverse perceptions about his strength? The Biden campaign and other