Trump expected to fire off personal attacks as aides advise him to highlight policy issues
Trump's advisers have urged him to highlight his policy differences with Biden and present his case to the American people as to why he deserves another four years in office, sources said.
He trails Biden in the polls and this is his final opportunity to pitch himself to a large audience in primetime before Election Day.
Some top advisers would like to see a less combative, calmer Trump at the debate but concede that is an uphill battle given the president will focus on Biden’s family, which aides hope will get under Biden's skin, multiple sources said. However, other top advisers don't think that focus helps move any of the remaining swing voters.
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Aides have also urged him not to interrupt Biden as much and have been re-watching the last debate with Hillary Clinton in 2016 as a guide as the White House views that debate as his strongest. The president's team also intends to heavily monitor the mute button usage, sources said.
Trump has held no mock debates leading up to his final face-off with Biden and has prepped -- in what one source described as a "very compartmentalized" way -- with different subject matter experts providing the president a briefing and preparing notes for the president on a particular topic. He has said his best preparation comes from his exchanges with the press.
The group advising the president has also slimmed down. For example, his former counselor Kellyanne Conway and former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie have taken less prominent roles.
-ABC News’ Katherine Faulders, John Santucci and Will Steakin