As Republicans debate, Biden campaign, Trump, RFK Jr to target voters offstage

(Reuters) – The first debate among U.S. Republican presidential candidates in Milwaukee, Wisconsin will have an abundance of political activity happening offstage.

Former President Donald Trump, who is leading in early polls, has decided to skip the debate and instead do an interview with former Fox News commentator Tucker Carlson.

President Joe Biden’s re-election campaign is launching its first major media push by using ad purchases, hosting Milwaukee events, and mobilizing online volunteers. Their goal is to make the case that even if Trump is not on the stage, the other Republican candidates still embrace his worldview.

In the meantime, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a Democratic candidate with low chances of winning, is engaging with Virginia voters about inflation during the debate.

The Biden campaign recently conducted a large training session to encourage thousands of volunteers, especially in swing states, to post online during the debate and compare Republican statements with Biden’s track record. In Washington, a joint “war room” consisting of the Biden campaign and the Democratic National Committee (DNC) will provide rapid responses throughout the night.

As a preview of what’s to come, earlier this year, a video released by the Biden campaign featuring Republican congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene comparing Biden to former President Franklin Delano Roosevelt garnered over 43 million views on Twitter.

“I approve this message,” Biden wrote above the video. He has targeted Greene as a representation of the “extreme-MAGA” faction within the GOP, referring to Trump’s “Make America Great Again” policies.

On Wednesday, the Biden campaign will launch its third major paid advertising campaign of the election cycle, amounting to $25 million and targeting eight battleground states. This campaign will include the first messages aimed at Latino and Black media.

Advertisements highlighting Biden’s “record of accomplishments” will be displayed throughout Milwaukee, while a mobile billboard truck will circle the debate venue. Prior to the debate, Biden campaign co-chair Cedric Richmond and DNC chair Jaime Harrison held a press conference.

“Tonight in primetime, Americans will have an opportunity to see in action the most extreme, divisive, and chaotic slate of presidential candidates in history,” Harrison stated.

Harrison mentioned that the candidates aim to strip away freedoms, while Democrats wish to contrast themselves with Republicans to demonstrate how out of touch and extreme the GOP is.

Regarding Republican criticism of President Biden’s son Hunter Biden, who is under investigation for tax evasion charges, Harrison and Richmond did not provide any comments during the press conference.

When asked why polls continue to show a tight theoretical competition between Biden and Trump despite Republican candidates holding extreme views, Richmond responded at a separate press conference, “President Biden has been counted out every single time.”

During contested primaries against incumbents, the out-of-power party typically receives more airtime to attack the sitting president. On Wednesday night’s debate stage, it is expected that the Republican candidates will direct their criticism primarily towards Biden rather than each other.

The Biden campaign has not yet decided whether Biden will debate Trump, or what it signifies if Trump chooses not to participate in the general election debates.

Reporting by Jarrett Renshaw; Additional reporting by Nandita Bose in Washington; Editing by Heather Timmons and Nick Macfie