Republicans Are Scrambling To Teach Cognitively Declining Trump Policy Before The Debate

[Tom of Temecula]

Trump is not doing debate prep, but having policy time where Republican senators try to teach the cognitively declining ex-president before the debate. Maggie Haberman reported on CNN with Anderson Cooper:

He’s not doing mock debates. He’s not doing mock debates that could, that could certainly change. But he’s been doing what they’ve been describing as policy time where they bring in different people to brief him. A bunch of senators have come up, come in last week, Senator Marco Rubio and Senator Eric Schmitt, both briefed him at the RNC headquarters after his meeting with lawmakers around Capitol Hill, which was his first major meeting with party members since he became the presumptive nominee. And they are focusing on various issues that could come up, abortion, health care, energy, COVID and then very specifically, and this was one thing that came up last Thursday, what Trump will say when asked January 6th related questions, particularly his statements about pardoning some of the people who were arrested in connection with the violence that day.

This news that Trump is preparing for the debate by not doing any debate prep comes at the same time that it is being reported that Trump has serious memory issues. Senate Republicans are trying to teach a man who was president for four years about policy while he is dealing with severe memory problems.

What could possibly go wrong with this idea? We’ve already seen what can go wrong because it already did. When Trump was president, he refused to read or prepare and forced the people around him to give him verbal briefings, which explains how he could spend four years in the White House and appear to have learned nothing.

https://www.politicususa.com/2024/06/19/trump-debate-prep-2024.html

[BootinUp]

1. Trump could fall down on the bar his supporters set for him, and they would be happy. nt

[elleng]

2. 'Scrambling To Teach Cognitively Declining Trump Policy?'

Heckuva job they've got.



What should I/We drink, that night? Dear Aristus???

[COL Mustard]

9. Be careful

You don’t want to end the night with alcohol poisoning!

[elleng]

11. LOLOL!

Black Russian?

Vodka Gimlet?

Iced coffee, DECAF!!!

[PJMcK]

32. All of the above! (n/t)

[Tanuki]

45. Moscow Mule?

[elleng]

48. Never had one;

daughter and son in law may have.

P.S., surprise, @ lunch after grand daughter's nursery school graduation, daughter's Margarita $10, my Sangria $5!

[Aristus]

41. Colonel Mustard in General Discussion with the Superb Advice.

I really don't want to set a drinking game around anything that Trump may or may not do.

Except die.

When he's dead, champagne all around!...

[COL Mustard]

44. Only after he's buried

Next to Ivana at Bedminster!

Then it’s drinky time!!!

[Aristus]

54. Then it will be Colonel Mustard and Aristus in the study with champagne and cigars!

And the rest of DU is invited, too!

[COL Mustard]

59. Maybe by that time

I’ll have been promoted to General Nuisance!!!

[Irish_Dem]

15. Good God Ellen, don't do a drinking game on debate night.

A drink for every time Trump lies, or shows his sociopathy and dementia symptoms.

A half hour in, you will have to be rushed to the ER for detox.

[elleng]

34. LOL!

and I RARELY drink!

[Irish_Dem]

35. If you stick to lemonade you will be really hydrated!!

[COL Mustard]

46. And up half the night

Peeing!!!

[Irish_Dem]

47. Yes. If we are going to do a drinking game on debate night

we must be near a toilet.

[captain queeg]

3. Jacked up Joe could sleep right up to the start and still look far sharper that that POS

I’m talking mentally but I hope donny dresses himself and does his own makeup. That oughta be good.

[brewens]

5. I said a couple weeks back that I expect them to bring in someone to do Trumps makeup and hair and

it will be totally obvious. They won't be smart enough to just get him looking like he did a couple years ago. They will go way too far. He'll be looking too sweet (for him) and it will stick out like a turd in a punch bowl.

[captain queeg]

7. That could set the stage for his melt down. Especially if Joe or a moderator points it out.

[brewens]

4. If he's learning a damn thing, I'll eat my shorts! LOL I'd be willing to bet he's wasting almost all of the time

anyone puts in trying to help him. He can't admit not being a genius. Anything he does pick up will be erased by the next time he sees the issue lied about on whatever media he's watching.

I'd like to be coaching the people writing the debate questions. They would loaded with big words and technical terms and structured so Trump would have to reveal what he knows about the particular issue being discussed.

[global1]

6. I Agree With Your Coaching Of The People Writing & Asking The Debate Questions.....

Many of Tr**p's positions are based on conspiracy theories; hoax's and lies.

If the questions are asked with that in mind - Tr**p will have to pivot from the political policy coaching he's been given by party members and will be answering the questions from his rally spiel.

If I'm right Tr**p will deviate from the policy and rely on his lies, hoax's and conspiracies that he's been pushing at his MAGA rallies.

I think that will make him look the fool.

Biden could then run circles around Tr**p when he gets to answer or reply to Tr**p's bloviating.

[captain queeg]

8. I'm looking forward to it for us it will be amusing.

For the trump supporters they’ll say he won no matter what. But for the 5-10% who haven’t decided yet it ought to be eye opening.

[COL Mustard]

10. I usually don't watch

Anything he’s on, but I may make an exception for this.

[DFW]

12. You might as well try to teach a chicken to play tennis

Even if it did want to, the capacity to do so is simply not there.

[Irish_Dem]

16. Famous psychologist B.F. Skinner taught pigeons to play ping pong.

Renowned Harvard professor Dr. Skinner, who developed the psychology theory of behaviorism,
actually taught pigeons to play ping pong using behavioral shaping.

But your point is well taken, trying to teach Trump anything at this point is futile.
Even when he was more intact, he was lazy and disinterested in anything other
than himself.

So now it is a total waste of time.

They would do better to get him an earpiece and lots of teleprompter material.

[DFW]

17. In this upcoming election, we should pay more attention to whom they nominate as his VP

I think that if any of them realistically see a chance of winning the presidential election, it will be with the intention of having Trump disappear (voluntarily or otherwise), William Henry Harrison style (but quicker), after the inauguration, and install the nut case they really wanted in the first place in the Oval Office.

I don't think there is a Republican strategist left who really WANTS Trump as president. But I am confident that there are some who want him to win, so that they can install the VP of their choice as President as soon as Trump discovers his "for reasons of health" within a couple of weeks of being inaugurated. I'm sure that even if he doesn't want to at first, promises of a miracle financial solvency accompanied by a full presidential pardon will bring him around within 15 minutes of the off-the-record conference that will make the decision.

[Irish_Dem]

21. Yes Trump's VP has a good chance of being president or running the show.

That is why they are groveling so hard to get the job.

Or there is already a band of minders who will run everything behind the scenes.

[DFW]

24. I tend toward the latter

Who, in turn, are carefully screening his VP choice who they fully expect to take his place when his "health takes a turn for the worse" right after inauguration. They still need a figurehead who will do do their bidding.

[Irish_Dem]

28. Oh yes I think you are quite correct.

The minders and power behind the scene people are vetting the VP candidate carefully.

Yes they want a good figurehead who is easier to manage. Who takes direction. But presents well.

Vance might be their man. Desantis is foolish and headstrong. Nikki Haley a bit too independent.

[BoRaGard]

13. "Remember to pretend that you love American democracy." - G.O.P.

"That always works with the suckers and losers out there." - G.O.P.

[Irish_Dem]

20. And accuse Biden of doing all the crimes you commit.

The suckers and losers love that.

[Hermit-The-Prog]

14. traitortrump gets his info from FOX and Putin, same as his enablers and supporters.

[Bucky]

18. Don't fall in love with the "Cognitively Declining Trump" narrative

Republicans keep fucking themselves with the "feeble old vegetable Biden" fable they tell each other constantly... and that sort of mythological tunnel vision keeps on coming out to bite them in the ass.

Constantly denigrating your opponent till you believe they're incapable of putting up a fight is an amateur's mistake. Arrogance, as Gidget Bobert keeps finding out, always queues up a self inflicted comeuppance.

Trump may be batshit crazy, but please stop telling yourself (and especially quit propagating in Democratic circles the foolish notion) that Trump isn't a wily, malicious sociopath who can play his marks like a fiddle and motivate them to hate, disbelieve objective facts, ignore their own self interests, storm government buildings, and get out to vote. He's learned the art of weaponizing white resentment. He's a one trick pony, but it's a powerful trick.

He's an idiot, but he's still a cornered crafty and dangerous wild animal. Our contempt alone won't be his undoing. We have to fact bomb our neighbors and family members, not ignore his manipulative genius.

[captain queeg]

38. Good advice, take note all.

It ain’t over till it’s over and in this case his stench will last years. But the US has to survive the next 8 months or so and the rethugs are totally invested in trump and for him it’s a life and death situation. And many of his followers are equally invested. Don’t underestimate what he and they are capable of.

[Aristus]

42. I agree.

In 2000, everyone with a brain knew that Al Gore could debate the shit out of George W. Bush.

And he did.

But what we were sold was:

Gore's bad makeup job and heavy sighing.

The wall-to-wall media narrative that Al Gore claimed he invented the internet.

And George W. Bush's child-like glee at finally landing "Fuzzy math", which you knew he had waited all evening for a suitable place to drop it. (Looky, Momma! I got a whole ROW of gold stars!..."

[Irish_Dem]

49. You are 100% correct.

Trump is a street smart, cunning and very dangerous sociopath.
We underestimate him at our own peril.

[HAB911]

19. laughable

[Johnny2X2X]

22. The format is awful for Trump

Trump needs constant feedback to keep talking. Feedback from an audience, or in this case feedback from a debate opponent. He's going to ramble and go way off script. And all of his big moments in the previous debates were on interuptions, the microphone cut is going to take that away.

[tanyev]

23. Frantically trying to slap some lipstick on that pig.

[Kid Berwyn]

25. He knows comedy.

[getagrip_already]

26. he's gonna have an earpiece.....

or a collar speaker. one his stage mic won't pick up.

it's the only way he can say anything on point. he won't even be able to remember a question 5 seconds in otherwise if it is a full sentance long. Usually the questions he gets are just a few words and very simple. f he gets a complex question by a real reporter, he won't understand it.

[Blue Owl]

27. Is that what they're calling diaper changing these days?

[Irish_Dem]

29. They could actually do a better job.

The senators are worthless.

A team of specialists might be able to patch trump together enough to look a bit better. Highly trained specialists.

[Arne]

30. The microphone placement is critical.

It must be right near the ass crack but not in the diaper.

[louis-t]

31. Oh, that should go well.

Never had any interest before, but now he's fighting for his life. Maybe they'll try the old 'hidden earpiece' trick again. Or writing the words on his shirt sleeve. Maybe someone will slip him the questions in advance so he can memorize the answers. All the moderators would have to do is ask the questions out of order. That would be hilarious.

[Irish_Dem]

50. Yes Trump can probably get the questions ahead of time.

When you are a mob boss you can get whatever you want with no problem.

[keithbvadu2]

33. The only policy Donald cares about is total loyalty to Trump.

[Irish_Dem]

51. And how can he get more money and power.

That's his policy.

[dslyahoo]

36. Probably fluffing

The senators might go in thinking that they will brief and may even bring up a couple of talking points. But, in my opinion, it is likely they are spending most of their time massaging TSF’s ego. Remember, the televised staff meetings he had? They all just said how great they thought he was.

[RobinA]

37. Why?

He's gotten this far without knowing a thing about policy, why mess with success?

[captain queeg]

39. Reading thru the comments reinforced my belief that he will make some excuse not to show up.

That won’t matter to his true believers but anyone that still hasn’t decided might start having more doubts about him. The rethugs might finally remember that old adage: better to keep your mouth shut if people think you are a fool than to open it and remove all doubt.

He will want to go to the debate thinking himself a genius but perhaps this time he’ll take some advice from others. Now that I think about it the rethugs will plant all sorts of crazy ideas in his head in an attempt to get him not to go and these ideas will all come out if he does go or as his excuse not to go.

[lindysalsagal]

40. So! The GQP leaders are the "experts " who can "help"him?

[JoseBalow]

43. "Besides the bible, obviously, what books have you recently read?"

[TheKentuckian]

52. I'd think that after being President and running for the office twice as long

he would have some baseline policy knowledge and the fact he doesn't would be a glaring red flag.

[captain queeg]

55. His groupies are the same. All they know is part of the second amendment.

But those few who have stayed away but now decide to pay attention will be stunned by his stupidity.

[spanone]

53. I doubt he does anything to 'prep' for the debates....he knows more than anyone.

...or so he thinks.

[Joinfortmill]

56. Rofl. Good luck with that.

[moose65]

57. Good grief

Of course he won’t prepare - he thinks he already knows everything, so why should he? And the idea that they are educating him about policy is the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard.

Trump doesn’t give two shits about policy. He will answer every question with his talking points and word salad from his campaign speech. And there will be no adoring audience for him to feed on. I’ll be surprised if he doesn’t fall asleep.

[Hassler]

58. Don the Con is a lazy asshole. He'll wing it like always