Fox’s Trey Gowdy Warns Conservatives Have Set Expectations Too Low for Biden: ‘I Don’t Know Why Republicans Fall Into This Trap’

 

Fox News weekend host Trey Gowdy added his name to the growing list of conservatives who are concerned that Republicans have set expectations too low for President Joe Biden at next week’s debate against Donald Trump.

The former president and other Republicans have long portrayed Biden as senile, or at least in cognitive decline. When Biden has exceeded expectations, as he did at the State of the Union, right-wingers speculated that the president had taken performance-enhancing drugs. Trump has even suggested Biden will do cocaine before the debate.

Lately, however, Trump has changed his tune. Speaking on a podcast on Thursday, the former president said Biden “destroyed” Paul Ryan in the vice presidential debate in 2012.

“So, I’m not underestimating him,” he said. “I assume he’s gonna be somebody that will be a worthy debater.”

Moreover, CNN’s Maggie Haberman said Trump’s campaign is concerned they have “lowered the expectations” for Biden too much.

Appearing on Friday’s Special Report on Fox News, Gowdy was asked about those expectations by guest host Shannon Bream.

“Let’s start with the debate exceptions,” she began. “Are Republicans in trouble because they’ve spent a lot of time in recent weeks talking about how President Biden can’t find his way off the stage? And we saw what happened in the State of the Union when he came in stronger than expected. And there was a ton of praise for him.”

“Yeah, they’ve got to be very careful,” Gowdy replied. “I don’t know why Republicans fall into this trap of setting high exceptions.” (Presumably, Gowdy meant to say “setting low expectations” for Biden).

He went on to say the debate will be “fascinating because it’s a combination of agenda and acuity.”

“It’s content and cognition,” he added. “So, the viewers will be watching both – not only what you say, but are you fit for office? So, I don’t recall a debate in my lifetime where both of those issues were front and center for both of the candidates.”

Watch above via Fox News.

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Mike is a Mediaite senior editor who covers the news in primetime.