Trainer for the TV duel He is the man who plays Donald Trump for Biden

It's not so easy to be abusive towards his boss: Bob Bauer does Trump for Joe Biden. The incumbent president should be optimally prepared for the TV duel with his challenger.

When Joe Biden prepares for the TV debate with Donald Trump at Camp David in the US state of Maryland, Bob Bauer will be among his at least 16 advisors: he will play Donald Trump as the President prepares for the duel.

Naturally, the 72-year-old does not want to talk publicly about his current preparations for the event on Friday morning at 3 a.m. CEST - blue News is reporting live. But in his book "The Unraveling", he describes how the whole thing went down in 2020: Back then, Bauer played Donald Trump for Biden.

"As Donald Trump, I played my part, lied, blustered and bullied my way through the rehearsal sessions," Bauer writes. "To prepare, I watched hours of video footage of the 45th president - as a businessman, as a candidate in 2016 and then in office."

"No opportunity for theater"

The lawyer has experience in preparing for such debates, he tells CNN. You have to immerse yourself in what the opposing candidate has said - "the style of arguments they've used, the tone they've adopted" - in order to effectively simulate a debate. You have to get as close to the person as possible.

But you shouldn't overdo it either: "This is not an opportunity for theater," Bauer stresses. "It's a distraction. So you want to find a balance between creating an experience and auditioning for [the comedy show] Saturday Night Live."

Does Bauer have any qualms about being abusive to powerful people in rehearsal sessions? "Of course it's not easy or pleasant," the expert tells CBS News. "But on the other hand, that's the job." And if the opposing candidate is a demagogue, you have to act accordingly.

Former adviser to Obama

Bauer's political background is clear. In "The Unraveling", he laments the loss of ethics in US politics; in fact, the lawyer has been working for the Democrats for many years. From 2005, he advised Barack Obama, who became president three years later. From 2010 to 2011, the New Yorker was the official legal advisor to the White House.

During the 2020 election campaign, Bauer not only prepared Joe Biden for the TV duel as Donald Trump, but also advised him on the selection of his Vice President Kamala Harris. He is also a member of a bipartisan commission that advises on reforms to the Supreme Court and the judicial system.

When he is not advising Democrats, Bauer teaches law at New York University. The 72-year-old is married to a former employee of the White House: he has four children with Anita Dunn.