In preparation for CNN’s presidential debate on Thursday, North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, a potential running mate for Donald Trump, raised expectations for President Joe Biden’s debate abilities. Speaking on “State of the Union” with CNN’s Kaitlan Collins, Governor Burgum pushed back against efforts by the Biden team to lower expectations, stating, “When he needs to, he can step up.”
Highlighting Biden’s experience, Burgum praised the president’s debating skills, referencing his past performances. Trump and other Republican allies have also acknowledged Biden’s ability to deliver a strong debate performance, with Trump even citing Biden’s 2012 debate with Paul Ryan as an example of his prowess.
This upcoming debate will mark the first one-on-one showdown between an incumbent and a former president. Biden’s campaign memo indicates that the president will focus on key issues such as abortion, democracy, and Trump’s economic plans during the debate. Both candidates are preparing rigorously, with Trump maintaining an active campaign schedule and Biden holding mock debate sessions at Camp David.
As speculation swirls about Trump’s possible running mate choices, Burgum remained modest, stating, “He’s got a lot of great choices.” However, he did not rule out the possibility of contributing his own wealth to the campaign if nominated, citing federal campaign finance laws that allow candidates to contribute unlimited funds to their own campaigns.
CNN’s Kevin Liptak and Kate Sullivan contributed to this report.
