--- title: How Both Sides Are Framing the Debate description: The Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump camps are playing the expectation game prior to the first debate between the two party's nominees. canonical: https://time.com/4505579/how-both-sides-are-framing-the-debate/ author: Zeke Miller article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2016-09-23T14:22:54.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-10-07T06:47:59.919Z article:section: Politics og:title: How Both Sides Are Framing the Debate og:description: The Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump camps are playing the expectation game prior to the first debate between the two party's nominees. og:url: https://time.com/4505579/how-both-sides-are-framing-the-debate/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt532324dee243e593/6988a751656a3f26d1bcd379/trump_clinton_debate.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 3000 og:image:height: 1688 og:image:alt: trump_clinton_debate og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: How Both Sides Are Framing the Debate twitter:description: The Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump camps are playing the expectation game prior to the first debate between the two party's nominees. twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt532324dee243e593/6988a751656a3f26d1bcd379/trump_clinton_debate.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # How Both Sides Are Framing the Debate > Sponsored content. 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It explains the politics, personalities and power dynamics behind the headlines, twice a week. #### Where can I get analysis of Washington politics by email? D.C. Brief is TIME's free Washington politics newsletter, available at time.com/newsletters. It is written by a TIME senior correspondent who covers the capital full time. #### Who writes TIME's D.C. Brief? Philip Elliott, a senior correspondent at TIME, writes D.C. Brief. #### Is D.C. Brief free? Yes. D.C. Brief is free at time.com/newsletters. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3/newsletters?i=bdecbbe1-2c26-4897-98cd-2673459b4f2e&cr=time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3-v1) ## Video: What A Clinton vs Trump Debate Might Look Like [Watch (HLS stream): What A Clinton vs Trump Debate Might Look Like](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/jeUYQHqg.m3u8) (2:04)  _Published 2016-03-31_ by [Zeke Miller](https://time.com/author/zeke-j-miller/) ## Zeke Miller Sep 23, 2016 2:22 PM UTC by [Zeke Miller](https://time.com/author/zeke-j-miller/) ## Zeke Miller Sep 23, 2016 2:22 PM UTC **_If you only read one thing:_** _It’s silly season on the campaign trail, as operatives on both sides of aisle argue their preferred candidate is a terrible debater and set to be trounced in Monday’s first presidential debate. It’s the expectations game—in some ways as important as the debate itself. The frantic effort to adjust the baseline by which the candidates will be judged will continue right up until the debate. From team Trump you’ll hear how Clinton has debated more times than anyone running for office and is a lifelong politician. From team Clinton you’ll be told about how charismatic Trump is off-the-cuff, while she is uncomfortable on stage. There’s truth to both viewpoints, but here’s why you shouldn’t buy it: they’re each the nominee of a major political party for the role of President of the United States. By definition they are both good at this. In a way, 2016 will be the most evenly matched debating year—a test of which of two radically different styles, strategies, and perspectives voters want. Don’t forget to get the popcorn._ Donald Trump is still trying to bring together the conservative wing of the GOP, releasing additional names he would consider for Supreme Court vacancies Friday. Like the first list which included conservative legal darlings who are Trump critics, the new one is striking for the inclusion of Sen. Mike Lee, the Utah lawmaker who has thus far refused to endorse Trump. Lee, a close friend of Sen. Ted Cruz, who has also withheld his support, is revered in conservative intellectual circles, even if his tactics often cause consternation from the moderate wing of the GOP. Trump’s decision to put him on the list is a clear signal to a party that hasn’t fully unified behind him, but it may be too little, too late. Hillary Clinton released a [new ad](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vHGPbl-werw&feature=youtu.be) Friday featuring young women and girls listening to Donald Trump’s comments critical of women. She also [invited](https://twitter.com/mcuban/status/779125122628136962) noted Trump critic Mark Cuban to attend the first debate in the front row. Trump’s English-only campaign. Obama’s veto. And Frank Luntz’s advice to the candidates. _Here are your must reads:_ **Must Reads** [President Obama Set To Veto Bill Allowing 9/11 Families to Sue Saudi Arabia ](http://time.com/4505583/president-obama-veto-911-saudi-arabia/)He says the bill would make U.S. diplomats and service members vulnerable to lawsuits \[TIME\] [Donald Trump’s Crime Policies Might Hit Minorities Harder, Experts Say ](http://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/23/us/politics/donald-trump-crime-terrorism-race.html?emc=edit%5Fth%5F20160923&nl=todaysheadlines&nlid=55003713&%5Fr=0)The racial and ethnic focus troubles some \[New York Times\] [Donald Trump Steps Deeper Into the U.S. Race Debate ](http://time.com/4505456/donald-trump-race-debate-charlotte-protests/)Criticizing protestors for causing violence in their communities \[Associated Press\] [Key Lawmakers Accuse Russia of Campaign to Disrupt U.S. Election ](https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/key-lawmakers-accuse-russia-of-campaign-to-disrupt-us-election/2016/09/22/afc9fc80-810e-11e6-b002-307601806392%5Fstory.html)Claims Putin is out to help Trump \[Washington Post\] [Debates are About the Voter, Not Moderators ](http://www.nbcnews.com/meet-the-press/lehrer-debates-are-about-voter-not-moderators-n652806)Longtime moderator Jim Lehrer gives his advice to the 2016ers \[NBC\] **Sound Off** “Even an eight year old could tell you that whole slavery thing wasn’t good for black people.” — President Obama on ABC responding to Trump’s comments that it’s the wort time ever for the African American community “You have 46 days to make possible every dream you ever dreamed for your country and your state” —Donald Trump in Pennsylvania Thursday. **Bits and Bites** [Frank Luntz: How Hillary Clinton Can Defeat Donald Trump in the First Debate](http://time.com/4504456/debate-how-hillary-clinton-defeat-donald-trump/) \[TIME\] [Frank Luntz: How Donald Trump Can Defeat Hillary Clinton in the First Debate](http://time.com/4504482/debate-how-donald-trump-defeat-hillary-clinton/) \[TIME\] [For sale: Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton. Never used.](https://www.yahoo.com/news/for-sale-donald-trump-and-hillary-clinton-never-used-191305043.html) \[Yahoo\] [Lester Holt takes the spotlight as moderator of first debate](http://money.cnn.com/2016/09/23/media/lester-holt-debate/index.html) \[CNN\] [North Carolina Lawmaker Sorry for Saying Charlotte Protesters ‘Hate White People’](http://time.com/4505557/north-carolina-protesters-robert-pittenger/) \[TIME\] [The day I became an American citizen](http://www.cnn.com/2016/09/23/politics/the-day-i-became-an-american-citizen/index.html) \[CNN\] [Obama Puts Syria at Arm’s Length as Carnage Drags On](http://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/23/world/middleeast/obama-syria-united-nations.html?%5Fr=0) \[New York Times\] [Ohio county chair for Trump campaign resigns after Obama remarks](http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2016/09/23/ohio-county-chair-for-trump-campaign-resigns-after-obama-remarks.html) \[Fox\] [Trump’s English-only campaign](http://www.politico.com/story/2016/09/donald-trumps-english-only-campaign-228559) \[Politico\] ## Transcript I beat Hillary Clinton in many polls, the queue poll just came out. America didn't stop being great. We have to make it whole again. I'm the only one that beats Hillary Clinton. I have not started on Hillary yet. Believe me, I will start soon. [ APPLAUSE ] I haven't even started. If you don't get an actual check From the Mexican government for 8 or 10 or $ 12 billion, whatever it will cost. How are you going to make them pay for the wall? I will. He's talking about a very tall wall. And the wall just got ten feet taller. That would run the entire border. Paid for by Mexico. That he would somehow get the Mexican government to pay for. We have at least 11 million people in this country that came in illegally. They will go out. You know it's just Fantasy. [ NOISE ] I would work quickly to present to the Congress my plans for raising the minimum wage. Taxes too high, wages too high. Well, you know both Bill and I have been very blessed, neither of us came from wealthy families, and we've worked really hard our entire lives. I took one million dollars and I turned it into Okay, one million ten billion dollars. I've come up with a tax plan that many, many people like Now- Very. [ NOISE ] They may not care much about their lives, but they do care, believe it or not, about their family's lives. [ APPLAUSE ] A diplomacy is not about getting to the perfect solution- We need tough people, we need toughness. It's about how you balance the risk. I would bring back water boarding. And I'd bring back a helluva lot worse, than what we're boarding. We will not send American combats groups back to Syria or Iraq, that is off the table. We talk about Iran and that's one of the worst deals ever made I'm asking people to support me because I think I'm the most qualified, most experienced and ready person to be the President. If I'm elected to be President We will win and we will win and we will win. Thank you. 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