2020 race: Debate Donald Trump’s best chance to reshape race

Donald Trump faces Joe Biden in the first presidential debate on Wednesday at a time of deep national turmoil.

Joe Biden and Donald Trump will face each other in their first debate on Wednesday. Picture: AFP.

Donald Trump has his best chance yet to reshape the US election race when he faces Joe Biden in the first presidential debate on Wednesday (AEST) at a time of deep national turmoil.

The debate in Cleveland comes amid a deadly coronavirus pandemic, an economic recession and bitter political divisions over key issues including the nomination of a new Supreme Court justice.

It also comes as Mr Trump fends off reports that he paid only $US750 in federal tax in both 2016 and 2017 and that his business empire is far less profitable than he has claimed.

The president hit out Tuesday (AEST) against the New York Times over the reports, denying that he was heavily in debt and accusing the paper of illegally obtaining tax information.

“The Fake News Media, just like Election time 2016, is bringing up my Taxes & all sorts of other nonsense with illegally obtained information & only bad intent. I paid many millions of dollars in taxes but was entitled, like everyone else, to depreciation & tax credits,’ Mr Trump tweeted. “Also, if you look at the extraordinary assets owned by me, which the Fake News hasn’t, I am extremely under leveraged – I have very little debt compared to the value of assets.”

The Fake News Media, just like Election time 2016, is bringing up my Taxes & all sorts of other nonsense with illegally obtained information & only bad intent. I paid many millions of dollars in taxes but was entitled, like everyone else, to depreciation & tax credits.....

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 28, 2020

.....Also, if you look at the extraordinary assets owned by me, which the Fake News hasn’t, I am extremely under leveraged - I have very little debt compared to the value of assets. Much of this information is already on file, but I have long said that I may release....

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 28, 2020

.....Financial Statements, from the time I announced I was going to run for President, showing all properties, assets and debts. It is a very IMPRESSIVE Statement, and also shows that I am the only President on record to give up my yearly $400,000 plus Presidential Salary!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 28, 2020

Mr Trump has described as “fake news” the NYT report that claimed to have examined more than two decades of tax returns which it says shows Mr Trump paid no federal income taxes in 11 out of 18 years and that in the first year of his presidency in 2017, he paid only $US750.

The NYT report said that, contrary to Mr Trump’s claims to be a successful businessman, most of his signature businesses lose large amounts of money, allowing him to minimise his taxes.

Republicans on Tuesday stayed largely silent about the report, while Democrats and Trump critics used it to attack the president.

John Kasich, the former Republican governor of Ohio who has endorsed Mr Biden said it could hurt Mr Trump’s chance among undecided blue-collar voters.

“These folks are scraping to make a living and they’re going to wake up to find out this incredible mogul paid $750? I don’t care what his excuses are,” Mr Kasich said. “It doesn’t pass the smell test. It’s not going to disrupt those people who were for him totally. They’ll still be for him. But it’s those people on the fence.”

Democrat House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said the alleged level of the president’s debt was a national security issue.

“This president appears to have over $400 million in debt,” she said. “To whom? Different countries? What is the leverage they have? So for me, this is a national security question.”

The first of three presidential debates comes at a time when Mr Biden leads Mr Trump by 6.8 points nationally and by smaller margins in the key battleground states such as Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin, Arizona and Florida.

With just five weeks until the election, the debates give Mr Trump the best chance yet of developing new momentum he needs to catch the former Vice President.

Mr Trump has attacked the 77-year-old Mr Biden about his age, claiming he is over the hill and not up to the job of president. Mr Trump this week suggested Mr Biden was taking performance enhancing drugs and demanded that Mr Biden take a drug test before the debate.

On Tuesday the president tweeted: “Joe Biden just announced that he will not agree to a drug test. Gee, I wonder why?”

The Biden campaign believes that if Mr Biden gives a competent performance in the first debate, Mr Trump’s campaign to discredit his mental agility will collapse.

Mr Biden will seek to attack the president’s record on the coronavirus and on his character.

The debate will be held in Cleveland in the battleground state of Ohio, which Mr Trump won in 2016 but where Mr Biden currently leads by just over 3 points.

Because of COVID-19 restrictions there will only be an audience of around 90 people and the two candidates will stand far apart on the stage and will not shake hands or wear masks.

“It is definitely one of the last things that could move the race,” said Jay Carney, the former White House press secretary under President Barack Obama and a former adviser to Mr Biden. “The odds of it moving the race are not high. But there are not that many opportunities.”

The 90 minute debate begins Wednesday at 11am (AEST). It will cover six topics in 15 minute sections – the Supreme Court nomination battle, the economy, the coronavirus pandemic, the racial justice protests and violence, the integrity of the election and the records of both candidates.

(Cameron Stewart is also US Contributor for Sky News Australia)