Megyn Kelly gets debate advice for Trump and Clinton from Charles Krauthammer
Monday night is the highly anticipated first presidential debate between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump, and on Sunday night, Fox News contributor Charles Krauthammer — a fan of neither candidate — gave his unsolicited advice to both on Megyn Kelly's Kelly File. He started with Trump, advising that "between now and tomorrow night, decaf only, don't talk about your hands, and in the end, think of yourself in the press conference with the president of Mexico." Kelly pointed out that Trump drinks neither alcohol nor caffeine, so no coffee, and Krauthammer said, "He's off on the right foot."
"Your job in this debate is to make people look at you and think you're a plausible president," Krauthammer said to Trump, and viewers "won't appreciate snarkiness or disrespect," as in the GOP primary debates. Trump's goal isn't to "win on points, not to win on substance," but "to show himself to be calm," he added, which means first and foremost don't "shout."
With Clinton, on the other hand, "I think what she needs to do is jab," Krauthammer said, "not to go for the haymaker, not to go for the one thing that's going to knock him out. He's very good at rope-a-dope and slipping away — you see, all the metaphors are boxing, because this really is a spectacle of boxing." In that vein, what Clinton "needs to do is the flurries, in other words to attack him on many points, calmly but one after another. I'm sure at some point he's going to want to succumb and strike back, and that's her opportunity." What if the debate is boring? Kelly asked. "Boring, he wins," Krauthammer said. "If he can be up there for 90 minutes and be dull, he wins the debate." "I'm excited to see them be dull," Kelly said. "I don't care." Watch below. Peter Weber
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.
-
'The double standards don't trouble the critics'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
Today's political cartoons - November 22, 2024
Cartoons Friday's cartoons - frozen assets, blazing fires, and more
By The Week US Published
-
How much of a blow is ICC arrest warrant for Netanyahu?
Today's Big Question Action by Hague court damages Israel's narrative that Gaza conflict is a war between 'good and evil'
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published
-
GOP's Mace seeks federal anti-trans bathroom ban
Speed Read Rep. Nancy Mace of South Carolina has introduced legislation to ban transgender people from using federal facilities
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Ukraine fires ATACMS, Russia ups hybrid war
Speed Read Ukraine shot U.S.-provided long-range missiles and Russia threatened retaliation
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
New York DA floats 4-year Trump sentencing freeze
Speed Read President-elect Donald Trump's sentencing is on hold, and his lawyers are pushing to dismiss the case while he's in office
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Wyoming judge strikes down abortion, pill bans
Speed Read The judge said the laws — one of which was a first-in-the-nation prohibition on the use of medication to end pregnancy — violated the state's constitution
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
US sanctions Israeli West Bank settler group
Speed Read The Biden administration has imposed sanctions on Amana, Israel's largest settlement development organization
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Gaetz ethics report in limbo as sex allegations emerge
Speed Read A lawyer representing two women alleges that Matt Gaetz paid them for sex, and one witnessed him having sex with minor
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Biden allows Ukraine to hit deep in Russia
Speed Read The U.S. gave Ukraine the green light to use ATACMS missiles supplied by Washington, a decision influenced by Russia's escalation of the war with North Korean troops
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Sri Lanka's new Marxist leader wins huge majority
Speed Read The left-leaning coalition of newly elected Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake won 159 of the legislature's 225 seats
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published