Former President Joe Biden’s advisors urged him to debate President Donald Trump sooner than planned, warning the official schedule risked giving Trump an edge, according to a leaked memo.
The April 2024 memo, obtained by Politico, argued that the Commission on Presidential Debates’ timeline left Biden at a disadvantage, with early voting in registration deadlines in key battlegrounds arriving before voters saw the two men face off. (RELATED: Bizarre Biden Memo Exposes Depth Of Presidential Delusion)
“By holding the first debate in the spring, YOU will be able to reach the widest audience possible before we are deep in the summer months with the conventions, Olympics, and family vacations taking precedence,” Biden’s advisers wrote.
“In addition, the earlier YOU are able to debate the better, so that the American people can see YOU standing next to Trump and showing the strength of YOUR leadership, compared to Trump’s weakness and chaos,” the memo continued.
The document, featured in the upcoming book “2024: How Trump Retook the White House and Democrats Lost America” by journalists Josh Dawsey, Tyler Pager and Isaac Arnsdorf, repeatedly stressed the need for urgency.
“Your senior advisors, including Ron and Cedric continue to believe it is important to move forward with a plan that supports your participation in debates as early as possible,” the document read.
The memo also warned that waiting until the fall would squander an opportunity to reach voters before early ballots were cast.(RELATED: Biden Aide Admits Staff Did ‘Undemocratic Things’ Because Trump Was ‘Existential Threat To Democracy’)
“YOUR Senior Advisors think strategically holding these debates in the fall, after many of the battleground states have already begun their early voting process and voter registration deadlines have passed is too late,” the memo emphasized this point by pointing to early mail-in voting in states like Wisconsin, Pennsylvania and North Carolina as examples.
🚨 BREAKING: Leaked memo reveals Biden’s aides urged early debate with Trump to showcase leadership, days before his disastrous performance
“The earlier YOU are able to debate the better, so that the American people can see YOU standing next to Trump and showing the strength of… pic.twitter.com/Px8xPmHpDR
— The Patriot Oasis™ (@ThePatriotOasis) July 7, 2025
The campaign team recommended scheduling one debate in the spring, ahead of the August Democratic National Convention, and another just after Labor Day — giving Biden the chance to recalibrate strategy after the first face-off.
Advisors suggested June 26 or 27 for the opening debate, timed around expected Supreme Court rulings and key dates like the anniversary of the Dobbs v. Jackson, which overturned federal abortion protections.
The memo outlined a three-part preparation plan: continued press and radio hits, frequent Q&A sessions and a taped campaign town hall planned for late April.
It also called for weekly debate rehearsals with “Brue,” likely shorthand for Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy Bruce Reed, along with other aides as needed. (RELATED: Team Biden’s Implosion Exposes Democrats’ Biggest Lie)
Finally, the team pushed for “intensive prep” to match the buildup to Biden’s State of the Union, recommending at least five days at Camp David immediately before each debate.
Biden ultimately faced Trump on June 27, 2024, but faltered visibly at several points, fueling doubts about his abilities to clinch reelection as the Democratic incumbent.
— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) July 21, 2024
Roughly a month later, he announced on X that he was withdrawing from the race and endorsing his vice president, Kamala Harris.
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