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The historic situation will serve as the backdrop to a debate in which Biden and Sanders will look to explain how they would lead the country in a moment of crisis and how their experience and policies make them best suited for the job.
The debate comes ahead of primaries Tuesday in Arizona, Florida, Illinois and Ohio — four states where Sanders lost to Hillary Clinton in 2016 and where Biden’s campaign is looking to score big victories as he continues his march toward the Democratic presidential nomination.
Here are three things to watch in Sunday night’s debate:
Addressing a pandemic
Sanders similarly delivered a response that excoriated Trump, but the Vermont senator used the moment to drive his policy proposals, including Medicare for All, and highlight the ills the United States faces that could be exacerbated by the virus. Sanders called for a moratorium on evictions, foreclosures and utility shutoffs during the coronavirus pandemic during his speech, and also pointed to pervasive problems that existed before the pandemic began.
The difference in response highlights the kind of leadership each candidate has offered throughout the campaign: Biden is pledging competency that leads voters to harken back to how former presidents responded in a time of crisis, while Sanders is promising wholesale change.
How will Biden balance a primary and a pivot?
Biden faces a tricky balancing act as he enters Sunday night with a significant lead over Sanders in delegates.
The former vice president is eager to pivot to the general election and focus on taking on Trump. His campaign views the current crisis as the exact contrast he wants American voters to see: Biden remaining calm, leaning on experts and proposing specific steps while Trump claims credit for things that haven’t happened and deflects blame for the slow deployment of coronavirus tests.
But he can’t take a potential victory over Sanders for granted and he also can’t risk alienating Sanders’ supporters, especially the young voters with whom he has struggled and will need to eventually win over.
In a speech Tuesday night in Delaware, after his victory in Michigan and other primaries, Biden extended an olive branch to Sanders supporters.
“I want to thank Bernie Sanders and his supporters for their tireless energy and passion,” Biden said. He told them that “there is a place in our campaign for each of you” and that they share a “common goal” of defeating Trump.
Whether Biden can continue that outreach while facing criticism from Sanders on the debate stage Sunday is a key question.
Will Sanders pull his punches?
How aggressive Sanders is with Biden could preview how long this primary battle will last.
Sanders comes into the debate with a substantial delegate deficit and a slate of tough contests ahead of him on Tuesday. As a results of the coronavirus pandemic, his campaign is currently unable to hold the large, raucous rallies that have propelled his bid to date.
That leaves Sunday’s debate as the best opportunity for the Vermont senator to make up ground.
But how Sanders approaches Biden Sunday will set the tone for to the rest of the primary.
Sanders signaled earlier this week that he is prepared to keep his focus on the policy differences between him and the former vice president. In a Wednesday speech where the Vermont senator was dour about his current standing, Sanders listed conversations he hoped to have with Biden at the debate, including medical debt, climate change and economic inequality.
Notably not mentioned: Attacks he has previously leveled against the former vice president on Social Security and his support for the Iraq war.
If Sanders keeps the discussion to clear and current policy differences, that will be welcome news to Democratic operatives who worry that a divisive fight on national television could eventually hurt Biden if he remains on track to become the Democratic nominee.
Many top Democrats believe Sanders hurt Hillary Clinton in 2016 by dragging their primary battle into the summer. But Biden’s team, after watching Sanders’ speech on Wednesday, is hopeful that won’t be the case four years later.
“Calling for a substantive discussion about our housing plans absolutely pales in comparison” to 2016, a Biden adviser said on Wednesday night.
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