Team Trump plans debate night offensive

[DonViejo]

The president’s campaign will be unleashing dozens supporters on TV in 2020 swing states, blasting out embarrassing moments on social media and dispatching talking points.

By GABBY ORR 06/26/2019 05:04 AM EDT

As Democrats spar on the debate stage this week, the president’s campaign will be unleashing dozens of Donald Trump backers on the airwaves in 2020 swing states, blasting out any embarrassing moments on social media and dispatching talking points to ensure everyone stays on message.

It’s all part of a robust response Team Trump has rapidly pulled together in recent weeks for the Democrats’ first presidential primary debate, which will stretch over Wednesday and Thursday nights. The strategy includes traditional elements — a rapid-response squad to field reporters’ questions, round-the-clock talking points and a ground force on site in Miami, where the debate is being held — but also a digitally focused war room looking for viral clips. Outside groups that support the president have also built up their own fact-checking resources and made large pre-debate ad buys, hoping to capitalize on the massive cable news audience the two-night primetime event is expected to attract.

It’s a notable change in approach for Trump, who bulldozed through the 2016 presidential campaign as his own messenger, even fighting the Republican Party at times. But now, as the incumbent, Trump has the entire GOP apparatus behind him and a campaign that has been building itself out since the day Trump entered the Oval Office. And while much of the public’s attention will be trained on whatever barbs Trump makes on Twitter during the debates, it’s his 2020 operation that will be doing the heavy lifting to try and knee-cap his potential opponents.

“It is a big night for the Democrats and we will have campaign staff and surrogates watching,” said Tim Murtaugh, communications director for the Trump campaign, which put together the debate response plan with the Republican National Committee over the last two weeks. “I’m not going to detail our plans, but of course we will be paying attention.”

While Trump will be a captive audience during Wednesday’s debate — he’ll be on a plane to Japan for the G-20 summit — the president is scheduled to be tied up in meetings with foreign leaders when Democrats take the stage on Thursday, putting more pressure on his outside team to handle the immediate response.

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https://www.politico.com/story/2019/06/26/democratic-debate-2020-team-trump-1382891

[we can do it]

1. He's always offensive.

[Magoo48]

2. Yup, offensive is not something he must plan.