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Biden debate prep focused on ways to 'trigger' Trump as former president relies on campaigning: reports

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The vastly different approaches taken by President Biden and former President Trump in prepping for Thursday’s presidential debate have continued to diverge, with the former hoping he can “trigger” the latter in the heat of the moment, and the latter relying heavily on his campaign experience, multiple reports show.

Biden has spent the last five days at Camp David in rural Maryland huddling with at least 16 current and former aides, according to The New York Times, while Trump, who spoke with Fox News over the weekend, has held “policy discussions” with allies to prep for what is expected to be an epic clash on the debate stage in CNN’s Atlanta studios.

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An old movie theater and airplane hangar have been outfitted as a mock debate stage, where Biden, despite having varying hours and a non-rigid schedule, is preparing to go on the offensive against Trump on issues like immigration and abortion, as well as push back on claims — appearing to be supported by various videos — that he is confused and frail,” The Times reported.

HOW TO WATCH THE CNN PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE SIMULCAST ON THE FOX NEWS CHANNEL

Former President Trump and President Joe Biden. (FOX News)

Biden’s mock debates have included his personal attorney, Bob Bauer, playing the role of Trump, the report said, while the team helping prepare him is being led by former White House Chief of Staff Ron Klain, and includes National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, current White House Chief of Staff Jeff Zients, White House counselor Steve Richetti, as well as campaign officials Anita Dunn, Mike Donilon, Ben LaBolt, Jen O’Malley Dillon, Cedric Richmond, Julie Chavez Rodriquez, Quentin Fulks, Michael Tyler and Rob Flaherty.

Former White House official Brian Deese is also expected to assist, according to the report.

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Three sources familiar with the debate prep told NBC News that Biden advisors are studying the former president’s recent comments to see what topics might get under his skin most — all an effort to throw off what appears to be a more disciplined Trump as of late.

INSIDERS REVEAL HOW BIDEN, TRUMP ARE PREPPING FOR THE 1ST 2024 PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE

Ron Klain

Ron Klain, the former White House chief of staff (Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

One source told the outlet the goal is to get “rally Trump” to come out, with another specifically pointing to Biden possibly attacking the former president’s 2020 election loss and subsequent actions that led to the Jan. 6 protest as a way to anger him by making him feel he’s being called a “loser.”

Those sources told NBC they believe attacking Trump’s post-2020 election actions could help boost Biden with independent voters who might be turned off by continued claims he actually won the election.

One Biden campaign official told the outlet the president has to walk a “fine line” because they want him to be seen as the “adult in the room.” The official also said Biden didn’t need to “goad” Trump into anything because the two men’s contrasting visions for the country would be clear enough without that.

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FAITH VOTERS WILL ‘DECIDE THIS ELECTION,’ ACCORDING TO PROMINENT GOP MEMBERS

Donald Trump

Former President Trump walks on stage to deliver the keynote address at the Faith & Freedom Coalition’s Road to Majority Policy Conference at the Washington Hilton on June 22, 2024, in Washington, D.C. (Samuel Corum/Getty Images)

Trump hit the campaign trail for a rally at Temple University in Philadelphia and the Faith and Freedom Coalition’s Road to Majority conference in Washington, D.C. on Saturday. Fox spoke with him during his Philadelphia stop, where he described the “best strategy” as being around people who scream questions at him.

Trump jokingly asked the crowd during his rally what his approach should be on the debate stage.

“How should I handle him? Should I be tough and nasty, and just say, ‘you’re the worst president in history.’ Or should I be nice and calm and let him speak?” he asked.

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Trump later told Fox he isn’t worried about Biden’s debate preparations and feels confident in his own ability.

“Well, I think if he prepares, he’ll be fine. Then he will forget it within about an hour after preparing. So, we’ll see what happens. We’ll see what happens,” Trump said.

The Fox News Channel will be airing the CNN Presidential Debate Simulcast at 9:00 p.m. ET on Thursday, June 27.

Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.

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Southeast

At this 'Dirty Dancing' nostalgic festival, fans can have 'the time of your life'

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Put on your “beige iridescent lipstick” and get ready for a “Dirty Dancing” festival like no other. 

The event, which takes place on Aug. 16 and 17, should offer enough opportunity to learn fun lifts and turns at the Pembroke, Virginia, resort where the popular movie “Dirty Dancing” was filmed. 

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The real name of the resort is Mountain Lake Lodge — but for a generation of film fans, it’ll always be “Kellerman’s.”

HELEN KELLER’S BIRTHPLACE, IVY GREEN, IS KEY TRAVEL DESTINATION FOR FANS OF ‘THE MIRACLE WORKER’

Tickets cost $75. The travel experience offers fans a way to “step back in time without being an overnight guest at the resort,” Heidi Stone, president and CEO of Mountain Lake Lodge, told Fox News Digital.

“Before there were ‘Swifties,’ there was the ‘Dirty Dancing’ super fan,” she also said.

Lovers of the classic film “Dirty Dancing” now have the opportunity to learn all of Johnny and Baby’s lifts and turns at a two-day festival in Virginia. (Mountain Lake Lodge)

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“The demand for immersive ‘Dirty Dancing’ experiences is bigger than ever,” she said. 

“It is incredibly nostalgic for fans to be able to experience not just a movie set, but a real place, complete with Baby’s Cabin, the infamous gazebo and many more filming locations.”

Stone added, “And, yes, we have watermelons, lots of watermelons for fans to carry.”

2 OF THE MOST BEAUTIFUL GARDENS IN THE WORLD ARE IN THE US, THE OTHERS ARE SCATTERED ACROSS THE GLOBE

Watermelon racing is on the festival itinerary, but Stone pointed out that the live music, dancing lessons and dance competition are some of the true highlights. 

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The fictional Kellerman’s resort was supposedly located in the Catskill Mountains of New York.

The real-life Mountain Lake Lodge that provided much of the movie’s backdrop is located in the Appalachian Mountains of southwest Virginia. 

The resort underwent an extensive renovation that was completed in 2017. 

For more Lifestyle articles, visit www.foxnews.com/lifestyle

“Dirty Dancing,” starring Patrick Swayze (Johnny Castle) and Jennifer Grey (Frances “Baby” Houseman), hit the big screen in 1987. 

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The movie grossed more than $214 million worldwide, according to IMDB.

If you can’t make the festival, the resort has several “Dirty Dancing” themed weekends each year.

Dirty Dancing vacation spot

“Dirty Dancing” fans can now immerse themselves in the world of Baby and Johnny by visiting the Mountain Lake Lodge or, rather, the Kellerman’s Mountain House, for a true “time of my life” experience. (Mountain Lake Lodge; Getty Images)

The weekends, according to Stone, sell out one year in advance.

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Looking ahead a year for those who want to plan well in advance, the 2025 dates are Feb. 14-16, April 25-27, June 27-29, July 25-27, Aug. 22-24 and Oct. 24-26. 

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Body language expert's brutal take on Biden's debate against Trump: 'Like a dead man walking'

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President Biden and former President Donald Trump squared off in their high-stakes 2024 election debate rematch on Thursday and the contrast between the pair could not have been more stark, body language expert Susan Constantine tells Fox News.

Constantine says the physical difference between the candidates was noticeable from the moment they both took the stage in Atlanta, and that set the tone for the rest of the evening, with Trump purveying strength and confidence in his mannerisms, while Biden showed a tired and slow demeanor, made worse by his raspy voice, mumbled answers and oftentimes dazed looks.

“I was really concerned because the minute [Biden] walked out on that stage, I felt he [was] not feeling good,” Constantine said. “His skin was pale, it was pasty, and he literally looked like a dead man walking.”

BIDEN’S ‘DISASTER’ DEBATE PERFORMANCE SPARKS MEDIA MELTDOWN, CALLS FOR HIM TO WITHDRAW FROM 2024 RACE

Biden looks on as he participates in the first presidential debate of the 2024 elections with former President Trump on June 27, 2024. (Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images)

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“It was as if everything were in slow motion,” she continued. “His fingers and his lack of illustrators when he was talking, he was like a frozen statue up there on the stage. It really was painful to watch. [Trump] had a more serious demeanor. He didn’t make a lot of facial gestures as we normally see him do. He didn’t flash his great big smile at anybody. He was very serious when he walked out on the stage, and it really didn’t change at all through the entire debate.”

Constantine added, “It made Biden look exceptionally weak, and made Donald Trump exceptionally powerful.”

Biden’s campaign blamed the raspy voice on a cold, but the president’s uneven debate performance grabbed the vast majority of headlines from the debate, sparking a new round of calls from political pundits and some Democrats for the president to consider stepping aside as the party’s standard-bearer. 

But top Biden allies pushed back against such talk as they defended the president and targeted Trump for lying throughout the debate. 

Constantine says that it was clear that Biden had rehearsed many of his answers and went through his scripted answers very fast so as not to forget his lines. But when he did fail to recollect lines, it tripped him up, resulting in him giving long stares, oftentimes without blinking, which she describes as a “stalker stare.” 

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“And the minute he forgot a couple of words, it was all over with, right, and then you could see that dropped mouth, and it was that dumbfounded look,” she explained. “His eyes would become very open and almost zombie-like. So he had that very flat stare in his eyes.”

MEDIA CALLS FOR BIDEN TO WITHDRAW FROM 2024 RACE AFTER ‘DISASTER’ CNN DEBATE PERFORMANCE: ‘IT’S OVER’

Joe Biden, Donald Trump

Biden and Trump debated in a high-stakes debate Thursday night and a body expert says their gestures told a lot about them. (Getty Images)

She also said Biden had too many cosmetic injections which physically prevented him from making proper expressions.

“He was really way too botoxed out, and that is a real problem because it can create some cognitive issues because when you shut down those emotions through facial effects, it can affect your brain,” Constantine explained. “It really almost felt abusive in my opinion, to literally allow him … [to] go through that kind of pressure knowing that he is in this high cognitive decline was to me, almost abusive.”

“And it was sad to watch. My heart broke,” she added. “I mean, literally, I could have cried watching him try to force these words out the best he could and it was just super hard to watch. The emotion that I felt, of sympathy, of empathy, because he just truly looked pathetic.”

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Trump, on the other hand, showed discipline and commanded his stage space, Constantine said, adding that the lack of an audience played to Trump’s advantage as it kept him focused on the debate and not distracted.

She said Trump also used his hand movements to convey his messaging. He also expressed his emotions in his face, and said that when he is hurt or attacked, it is noticeable as his face droops downward in a sad gesture.

 

President Trump speaking and hands showing

Trump used his hands to convey his point in the debate. (Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images)

“He’s a big guy with big hands, right? And he captures the attention,” Constantine said. “He’s very big, and wide and open, and so everything in his gestures and in his movements are big and boisterous. His hands are no more than additional communicators of what he’s saying.”

Constantine said Trump used a chopping motion when he was serious and used an “okay” sign when he was concentrating on something that was really important. He also gave an “L” sign at ear level which she terms as “listen and learn” while he also moved his hands towards his chest as if he is playing an accordion. 

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“[Trump’s gestures] are much more rapid and much more commanding, much more intense. But that goes along with his personality so it is in sync with his personality,” Constantine said. “We’ve seen politicians where their gestures are so synchronized and they’re so on point that it loses its authenticity. He left that window open so that he was able to gesture, stay within that balance, stay within the frame, connect with the audience, or on camera and not over gesture but just gesture enough to get his point across.” 

“Very powerful,” she added. 

Fox News’ Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report.  

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State Dem leaders rally behind Biden after debate; one party chair urges GOP to replace Trump

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The governor of President Biden’s home state led several other Democratic state officials in maintaining they will stick with their party’s incumbent after a debate performance that roiled the political scene.

Delaware Gov. John Carney told Fox News Digital he still supports Biden’s bid to remain in the White House.

“I endorsed President Biden’s re-election campaign last year and continue to stand behind him,” Carney said.

“We need to make sure President Biden can finish the job he started.”

Fox News Digital reached out to every Democratic governor and several state-level Democrats for their take after Biden received friendly post-debate fire from fellow liberals and media allies.

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ECONOMY, BORDER, ABORTION DIVIDE BIDEN’S HOMETOWN AS SCRANTON LOOKS BACK ON NATIVE SON’S TENURE

Delaware Democratic Gov. John Carney at the Major Joseph R. Biden III National Guard/Reserve Center in New Castle, Del., Jan. 19, 2021. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, File)

Several governors did not respond to requests for comment, but those who did indicated Biden remains their man.

In West Virginia, State Democratic Party Chair Mike Pushkin said Biden is a winner and Trump is a criminal.

“As Democrats, we believe in the democratic process. President Biden is our nominee because of his winning performance in the presidential primaries,” he said.

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“Donald Trump is a convicted felon who paid hush money to cover up an affair with a porn star and who helped incite a riot as part of a plot to overturn the results of a free and fair election,” added Pushkin, also a state lawmaker.

Instead of claiming Democrats should replace Biden, the GOP should turn inward, Pushkin added.

“If Republican leaders had an ounce of integrity and cared about our democracy, they should be looking to replace Donald Trump on the ticket,” he said.

In neighboring Pennsylvania, state Sen. Sharif Street, the commonwealth’s Democratic Party chair, said he will proudly continue to support Biden.

BIDEN CLAIMS TO SEE THE ECONOMY THROUGH THE EYES OF SCRANTON, NOT WALL STREET

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“He’s created more jobs this year than Donald Trump has in his entire time in office,” said Street, whose father, John Street, was a popular Philadelphia mayor.

“President Biden has had an outstanding tenure, appointing Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson to the Supreme Court and protecting a women’s right to choose. Additionally, he has invested in our communities by passing the CHIPS Act and the infrastructure bill,” Street said.

Street added Trump is a “convicted felon” and that the debate showed him to be a “compulsive liar” and “total lunatic.”

“[He’s] bad for America,” Street said. “I’m proud to support President Biden and look forward to the next four years.”

Pennsylvania Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro’s office pointed to an interview on CNN, where he appeared as a Biden campaign surrogate.

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The governor, whose state narrowly went to Trump in 2016 and Biden in 2020, did not mince words about remaining behind his party’s nominee.

“Here’s the bottom line: Joe Biden had a bad debate night, but Donald Trump was a bad president,” Shapiro said.

“I think what the American people have to do now is make a decision: Do we want to go back to a dark time that Donald Trump promises, where we have less freedom, where the middle class gets screwed, where there are fewer opportunities in our community?” 

BIDEN’S HOMETOWN SPEAKS OUT ON BIDENOMICS

Minnesota Democratic Gov. Tim Walz concurred with Shapiro during a Fox News interview when asked if Biden should remain the nominee.

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“[He] had a bad night last night,” he said. “I hate these debates. I’ve been through dozens of them myself, but they’re performative,” Walz told “America’s Newsroom.”

“I’ve had the job under President Trump and under President Biden, and the difference couldn’t be more stark than the ability to be able to deliver what governors need.”

Colorado Democratic Gov. Jared Polis said “last night was not a good night” for Biden but added Trump instead “spewed wild conspiracy theories from the debate stage.”

“President Biden has a vision for America where women have the right to choose what they do with their own bodies, where we tackle high housing costs, where every family can afford child care, and where we show compassion and love for one another rather than hate,” Polis said.

President Biden and former President Trump split image

President Biden and former President Trump (Getty Images)

While North Carolina Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper did not respond to a request for comment, he later lauded and introduced Biden at a Raleigh campaign rally Friday afternoon.

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Reached for comment on whether they will continue supporting Biden, an official with the North Carolina Democratic Party responded simply, “Yes.”

California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office directed Fox News Digital to post-debate remarks in which the Democrat pledged to “never turn my back on President Biden.”

“I don’t know a Democrat in my party that would do so. And especially after tonight, we have his back,” he said.

Kansas Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly told Fox News Digital she’s proud to continue supporting him.

“While I have never been shy about standing up to Washington when it’s wrong for Kansas, the president’s record of delivering bipartisan results speaks for itself,” she said.

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“His efforts will continue to allow Kansas to recruit new manufacturing businesses, rebuild our infrastructure, and stand up for our fundamental freedoms. He is a decent man of strong character.”

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