Trump debate prep flips from 'Biden can't tie his shoes' to strong foe: Maggie Haberman

A no-mess Donald Trump isn't underestimating the 46th president.

When they face off June 27, Trump expects the incumbent from working-class Scranton to be on his game — and playing to win.

"I was told that this was where he and his team were heading as they went into the debate. They were trying to move from, you know, Biden can't tie his shoelaces and is going to trip his way all over the stage, to trying to suggest that they expect that he will be good in the same way he was, say, at the State of the Union several months ago," New York Times reporter Maggie Haberman told CNN's Kaitlan Collins on "The Source." "So there is an awareness in Trump's world that they have lowered the expectations pretty solidly for Biden; I don't know that you know a week out from the debate is enough time to try to recast that."

In a bit of self-humility, Haberman said that internally Trump acknowledges that he discounted Biden when they last debated back in 2020, and much of the reason for that was his incessant interrupting.

"Trump did not help himself in 2020 when he was constantly interrupting Biden — he knows that... and his folks are aware that they set the expectations too low for Biden, and Biden beat him."

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On an "All In" podcast that aired Thursday, Trump said he rewatched a 2012 debate where then Vice President Biden squared off against then-Wisconsin Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI). Ryan was running on GOP candidate Mitt Romney's ticket.

Trump said Biden "destroyed Paul Ryan" in the 2012 vice presidential debate, chiding the retired Republican for "chugging water left and right."

"I didn't think a human being would be able to drink so much water at one time," he joked.

But as far as the contender in his path to win the White House, Trump is clear-eyed on needing to keep his fists up this time around.

"I happen to think he's incompetent for a lot of reasons," Trump said of Biden. "I think he's incompetent because he has gotten the worst policies, both foreign policy and internal policy."

"I assume he's going to be somebody that will be a worthy debater. I don't want to underestimate him," Trump added.

Much of the prep — so far — for the presumptive Republican nominee is a course of sessions with lawmakers.

"They're doing what is described to me as 'policy time'," she said. "They are having him meet with various people. They're cycling in advisers senators, a bunch of folks to talk about different topics, whether that's abortion or health care or in some cases talking about how to answer questions about Jan. 6 and the attacks on Trump about posing a threat to democracy."

Watch the clip below or at this link.