Opinion: Here’s What to Really Ask Biden and Trump at the Debate

The first 2024 presidential debate between President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump is right around the corner.

I expect the standard questions: What would you do to bring peace to the Middle East? How are you going to fight inflation? What’s your plan to save the planet (if you have one)? ...etc. But I don’t think those questions will cut it this time around.

For one thing, Biden and Trump have already debated each other several times. In fact, they’ve already run an entire campaign against the other. They’re on the record answering many of the standard questions (or just yelling, like during the one Chris Wallace moderated). And they’ve both already been president, so asking hypotheticals seems like a waste of time.

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No, the regular questions won’t do.

This election is historic. Well, historically bad.

The percentage of Americans who hate both candidates is at an all-time high. Given the circumstances, I believe we need slightly more targeted debate questions. Because the American public deserves to know exactly how our front-runners believe we got here, and why they believe they’re the right ones to run the country.

Consider the following queries for President Biden:

Without using the term “shrinkflation,” please offer some advice to people who can’t afford their groceries.

Do you actually have a red line on Israel, or is this a kinda “my girlfriend who lives in Canada” situation?

Did you get the most updated COVID vaccine before coming? If not, do you want to move your podium a little farther away from Trump?

What advice would you give other extremely unpopular world leaders who are seeking re-election?

Why do you think you’re not absolutely destroying Trump in the polls?

You promised to be a “bridge” president. A bridge to the next generation. How long exactly is this bridge supposed to be?

And now some very basic words with a question mark at the end for Trump:

Do you genuinely not understand the charges for which you’ve been convicted? If you really don’t, I can take a moment to explain them to you.

Name five people who served in your first administration who are currently not in jail.

Name five people who served in your first administration who are planning to vote for you.

Name five people who served in your first administration.

Are you sticking to the “I didn’t sleep with Stormy Daniels” story?

Could you please stop yelling?

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If you lose, other Republicans are going to say, “We should have gone with DeSantis.” You know that, right?

What exactly have you promised billionaires?

Which enemies will you throw in jail first? If you have an ordered list, that might be helpful.

Your wife hates you. I guess that’s more of a statement than a question.

If Biden promised to pardon you, would you drop out? I’m not saying he would or should, I just think voters are curious about whether or not you’re running to stay out of jail.

If the federal government promised you a super plush jail cell, like one where you could still golf and harass people on Truth Social, would you drop out?

And here’s a few for both of them:

You do know how old you are, right?

Trump—you’ve already lost to Biden once. Biden—the person you’re running against is convicted felon Donald Trump. Does the prospect of losing to the other absolutely humiliate you?

Why do you think RFK Jr. is so popular? I mean, he’s an anti-vaxxer who admitted a worm ate part of his brain. So I feel like his popularity says more about the two of you, right? Anyway, just curious.

What do you think the American public did to deserve this election?

Why are you running for president?

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You may think I’m joking, but I’m really not. This is what the American public deserves to know.

The Democratic primary was non-existent, and the Republican primary was over before it began. Trump, in fact, didn’t compete in a single debate.

We live in the age of misinformation and badly edited videos, but it’s time to see these candidates in their fullness stand for 90 minutes, with nowhere to hide, and explain themselves.

We deserve answers on exactly why these incredibly old men are unwilling to pass the baton to the next generation. We deserve their honest opinions on what exactly they think is going on in the country, and how they plan to fix it. I don’t expect the moderators to ask questions like these (except maybe the “shrinkflation” one), and I don’t expect Trump or Biden to have particularly compelling answers even if they did.

But we, the American public, deserve to put them under a microscope and ask them exactly what they think they’re doing.

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