Former President Donald Trump is raising his debate expectations for President Joe Biden a week ahead of the two men facing off, and after spending months describing him as a weak, mentally unfit leader. "I assume he's gonna be somebody that will be a worthy debater. .
.. I don't want to underestimate him," Trump said during an episode of the "All In" podcast, hosted by Silicon Valley entrepreneurs Chamath Palihapitiya, Jason Calacanis, David Sacks and David Friedberg, and released on Thursday.
Pointing to Biden's vice-presidential debate performance against former House Speaker Paul Ryan, who ran as the VP choice of Sen. Mitt Romney in his 2012 presidential campaign, Trump, in a rare moment, praised Biden. "All I can say is this, I watched him with Paul Ryan, and he destroyed Paul Ryan.
Paul Ryan with the water, he was chugging water left and right ...
and he beat Paul Ryan. So, I'm not underestimating him. I'm not underestimating him.
It is what it is." SEE ALSO: 1st Biden-Trump debate will include microphone muting, coin flip and more Trump's comments are a departure from his previous rhetoric and come as his campaign advisers have warned that Biden may overperform on Thursday because expectations have been set low for him, though Trump himself has contributed to those conversations. "Crooked Joe Biden is the WORST debater I have ever faced - He can't put two sentences together!" Trump posted on his social media platform when he accepted Biden's debate proposal.
"I would st.
