Staff Reports
President Biden expressed his readiness to debate former President Donald Trump, but he made it clear that he would not be participating in debates organized by the Commission on Presidential Debates. In a video posted online, Mr. Biden stated that he had won two debates against Mr. Trump in 2020 and joked about Mr. Trump’s availability for debates, referencing his legal matters.
The Biden campaign chair, Jen O’Malley Dillon, sent a letter to the commission, announcing that Mr. Biden would not take part in the already scheduled debates but suggested holding debates organized by news organizations instead. The proposed dates for the debates were in June and September, with a mention of a vice presidential debate in July.
DEBATE: Biden’s debate challenge to Trump came with fine print:
• No live audience
• RFK Jr. is banned
• Trump’s mic is muted when Biden speaks
• Only hosted by NPR, CNN, MSNBC, ABC, or CBS
• Moderated by Democrat-aligned reporter pic.twitter.com/ST4ZKTcMFA— @amuse (@amuse) May 15, 2024
In response, Mr. Trump expressed his willingness to debate President Biden and recommended having more than two debates in large venues to create excitement. CNN quickly extended an invitation to host a debate on June 27, which Mr. Biden confirmed in another online post. The debate is set to take place in CNN’s Atlanta Studios at 9 p.m.
This news highlights the ongoing dynamics between President Biden and former President Trump as they consider the possibility of debating each other. It remains to be seen how the details and format of these debates will unfold, as both sides continue to engage in discussions and negotiations.
