Biden Not Worried About First Presidential Debate, Says Trump 'Not That Smart'

Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden on Saturday said he isn't worried about the first debate against his Republican opponent Donald Trump because "people know the president is a liar."

Speaking on MSNBC, Biden laid out his strategy and revealed he'll be taking the fight to Trump on the debate stage. "I'm prepared to go out and make my case as to why I think he's failed and why I think the answers I have to proceed will help the American people, the American economy and make us safer internationally," the former vice president said.

With less than 40 days until November 3, Trump has been grinding out back-to-back in-person campaign rallies, while Biden's schedule has been packed with virtual fundraisers and online events. The former vice president's staffers insist that his strategy is to show voters that, unlike the president, he won't risk the safety of Americans to get reelected.

Biden hopes that he'll walk away from the debate having contrasted his experience and political knowledge with Trump's alleged lack of.

"He doesn't know how to debate the facts, because he's not that smart," Biden said. "He doesn't know that many facts. He doesn't know much about foreign policy. He doesn't know much about domestic policy. He doesn't know much about the details."

Newsweek reached out to Trump's campaign for comment.

In discussing the debate, the Democrat has indicated that he could act as a fact-checker to Trump—an approach his advisers have warned him against. They say that he should remain focused on themes of unity and succinctly presenting his own policies on the economy, health care and the pandemic.

Biden has been aggressively preparing for his first showdown with Trump, while the president has decided to skip formal preparations to focus on visiting swing states.

An unnamed person close to Biden's campaign told the Associated Press that senior campaign adviser Bob Bauer plays the role of Trump in mock debate sessions. Bauer isn't dressing up as Trump, but he is imitating his style and expected strategy by throwing insults and bizarre digressions at Biden.

As he jets around the country, sometimes hosting multiple events across different states in one day, Trump has heavily criticized Biden's more sedate approach to in-person campaigning.

"Did you see he did a lid this morning again?" the president said during a rally in Jacksonville, Florida on Thursday.

"A lid is when you put out word you're not going to be campaigning today. So he does a lid all the time... I'm in Texas. I'm in Ohio. I'm in North Carolina, South Carolina. I'm in Michigan. I'm all over the place."