In the run-up to the highly anticipated first presidential debate scheduled for Thursday, President Donald Trump's surrogates are strategically raising expectations for his opponent, former Vice President Joe Biden. Contrary to the Trump campaign's central narrative labeling Biden as senile, they now argue that he is actually a formidable debater.

During a recent podcast interview, President Trump acknowledged Biden's debating skills and cautioned against underestimating him. Trump referred to Biden's 2012 vice presidential debate with Paul Ryan, stating that Biden "destroyed" his opponent, thereby emphasizing Biden's ability to perform well in debates.

North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum, a potential running mate for Trump, also echoed this sentiment. He praised Biden's capacity to rise to the occasion, highlighting his debate performance four years ago and his State of the Union address earlier this year.

Nevertheless, this newfound acknowledgment of Biden's debating prowess seems to contradict the Trump campaign's assertion that Biden is suffering from cognitive decline. To reconcile these conflicting positions, Trump and his surrogates have resorted to suggesting that Biden may be on drugs. Trump himself, in a recent rally, insinuated that Biden takes shots of drugs to enhance his performance, making veiled references to alleged drug use in the White House.

One of Trump's closest allies, Texas Representative Ronny Jackson, a former White House doctor, even went so far as to write a letter to Biden, demanding that he submit to a drug test before and after the debate. Jackson claimed that Biden was "experimenting with just getting the doses just right" as part of a drug cocktail to improve his cognitive abilities during the debate.

Despite the campaign's attempts to hype up Biden's performance, they also maintain that the moderators of the debate are biased against Trump. Trump campaign spokesperson Karoline Leavitt expressed concerns over CNN's selection of Jake Tapper and Dana Bash as moderators, accusing them of having a history of bias against the President. Leavitt's comments drew criticism from the host, eventually leading to her being removed from the air.

The Trump campaign's criticism of CNN serves several purposes. It aims to put pressure on the moderators to prove their impartiality, gives Trump an opportunity to blame a rigged setup if the debate doesn't go in his favor, and even provides a potential excuse for Trump to back out of the debate altogether.

As anticipation builds for the first presidential debate, the Trump campaign is employing a mix of strategies to shape public perception of Biden's abilities. By raising expectations for Biden's performance while simultaneously suggesting he may be using performance-enhancing drugs, Trump's surrogates are engaging in a delicate balancing act aimed at discrediting their opponent while avoiding the trap of underestimating him.