LOS ANGELES — Former Vice President Joe Biden Joe BidenBiden says voters should choose who nominates Supreme Court justice Trump, Biden will not shake hands at first debate due to COVID-19 Joe Biden should enact critical government reforms if he wins MORE will seize on President Trump Donald John TrumpBiden says voters should choose who nominates Supreme Court justice Trump, Biden will not shake hands at first debate due to COVID-19 Pelosi: Trump Supreme Court pick 'threatens' Affordable Care Act MORE’s impeachment when he takes the debate stage here on Thursday, using the historic House vote to bolster his case against the president.

In a briefing with reporters at a hotel in Los Angeles’s upscale Westwood neighborhood, senior officials on Biden’s campaign said the former vice president will use the debate to speak “directly to the American people” about his strategy to take on Trump in 2020.

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They also dismissed the notion that Biden could use the debate to more aggressively challenge his rivals for the Democratic nomination, saying that it would be “a mistake” to do so in the shadow of Wednesday’s vote in the House to impeach Trump.

“Vice President Biden is going to spend this evening focused on his case against Donald Trump,” one senior campaign official said. “He believes it would be a mistake for Democratic candidates to spend three hours attacking each other tonight.”

The senior official said Biden was also prepared to “push back on the notion that it is somehow naive or unattainable to believe that we can unite this country, that we can get things done.”

“That’s the case he’s obviously been making since he came into the race,” the official said. “It’s one he feels very strongly about and you’ll hear that tonight — a really forceful case for his belief that the president has a responsibility to unite the country.”

That argument could put him at odds with some of his rivals, such as Sens. Bernie Sanders Bernie SandersTrump, Biden will not shake hands at first debate due to COVID-19 Sanders tells Maher 'there will be a number of plans' to remove Trump if he loses Sirota reacts to report of harassment, doxing by Harris supporters MORE (I-Vt.) and Elizabeth Warren Elizabeth WarrenOvernight Defense: Appeals court revives House lawsuit against military funding for border wall | Dems push for limits on transferring military gear to police | Lawmakers ask for IG probe into Pentagon's use of COVID-19 funds On The Money: Half of states deplete funds for Trump's 0 unemployment expansion | EU appealing ruling in Apple tax case | House Democrats include more aid for airlines in coronavirus package Warren, Khanna request IG investigation into Pentagon's use of coronavirus funds MORE (D-Mass.), who have argued that a Democratic president should not expect unity or cooperation from Republicans if Trump is defeated in 2020.

“He’s here to make his case why he’s the candidate that can unify the country,” the senior official said.