Trump Reportedly Told His Inner Circle He Blew the 2020 Debate With Biden: 'Interrupted Too Much'

New York Times reporter Maggie Haberman claimed that Donald Trump admitted to his inner circle that he botched his first debate against President Joe Biden by interrupting him 'too much.' Four years later, on June 27, Biden and Trump are scheduled to face off again in the 2024 presidential debate, as reported by Mediaite. CNN's Jake Tapper and Dana Bash will moderate the first of the two scheduled debates. 

With the two titans challenging each other for months, analysts excitedly speculate which direction the debate could take. Haberman, appearing on AC360, told Anderson Cooper that the former President and his allies are prepping themselves for tough questions, in particular about the January 6 riots.

"He has said to people multiple times that he knows that he interrupted too much in the first debate with Biden in 2020, and having just re-watch that debate recently, it's striking," Haberman said to Cooper, as per Raw Story. "I mean, we all talked about it at the time, but Biden could barely get a word in edgewise and Biden was kinda smiling throughout as this was happening."

The Republican frontrunner disrupted Biden and moderator, Chris Wallace, more than 140 times during the 2020 presidential debate. This time, only the candidate whose turn it is to speak will have their microphone turned on. The 45th president, who turned 78 this past weekend, is motivated to do well and improve, according to Haberman.

Haberman added, "Look, Trump doesn’t like prep. He considers it school. So, the fact that they’ve gotten him to do it this way is actually pretty revealing and also speaks to the fact that I think he knows that this has to go well for him...I mean, in public, his aides often downplay the prep that he does," she said. "He's been doing not standard debate prep. He doesn't have stand-ins as of now for Biden in these debates."

Rather, as reported by Haberman in The New York Times, Trump held a policy meeting with seasoned lawmakers Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) and Eric Schmitt (R-MO). Members of Trump's team were present at the meeting, which took place at the Republican National Committee offices close to Capitol Hill. Earlier in the day, Trump had met with lawmakers at the same location.

What Trump is going to say in response to questions on the January 6 uprising is a major source of worry for his supporters. According to Haberman, Trump will use a more nuanced strategy than in the past, when he had praised the rioters as 'patriots' and offered pardons. She said, "What they are hoping he is going to say, and again who knows what he'll actually say, but what they're hoping is...he is going to say...some version of it...depends on the case."