Fight: Inside the Wildest Battle for the White House

Chapter 1 opens with various Democratic leaders and aides preparing, with varying degrees of anxiety, to watch the June 27th, 2024, presidential debate between incumbent Joe Biden and former president Donald Trump.

Nancy Pelosi, the former House Speaker, had warned her old friend Biden not to lower himself by debating with Trump. She argued that he should not “dignify Trump” (4) by giving him equal footing. As one of Trump’s longtime detractors and protestors, Pelosi didn’t think that Biden would gain anything from debating an insurrectionist and convicted felon on the national stage. However, Biden refuted her and appeared eager to be the one asserting authority and setting the terms of the debate, instead of letting Trump’s campaign accuse him of shirking the debate. However, other lawmakers expressed worry and doubt to Pelosi and others, stating before the debate that to them, “Biden did not look sharp” (4). Veteran political leaders, all of whom also prepared to watch the debate, reflected that while Biden had always held his own, his debate skills had never been extraordinary.

As they watched Biden enter the stage, their uncertainty grew. He looked pale and haggard, suffering from a recent cold, and his initial remarks caused concern among his supporters.