President Joe Biden has confirmed that he is willing to debate former President Donald Trump, after months of pressure from Trump and his campaign. Biden made the statement during an interview with radio host Howard Stern, stating that he is “happy to debate” Trump, although he is unsure of when or where the debate would take place. This marks Biden’s strongest commitment to debating Trump, as he had previously stated that his decision would depend on Trump’s behavior.
Trump and his campaign have been pushing for debates with Biden, after Trump chose not to participate in GOP primary debates due to his polling lead. Trump responded to Biden’s statement by offering to debate him “ANYWHERE, ANYTIME, ANYPLACE,” on his social media platform, Truth Social. He suggested debating early next week or on Friday outside Manhattan criminal court after the conclusion of his trial for the day. Trump continued to taunt Biden on Truth Social, claiming that Biden did not show up at the courthouse as promised.
During a press conference outside Manhattan criminal court, Trump reiterated his willingness to debate Biden and suggested holding the debate at the White House for comfort. The Commission on Presidential Debates had announced the schedule for the debates, with the first debate set for September 16, the second on October 1, and the third on October 9. Trump and his campaign had urged the commission to add more debates to the calendar and push up the schedule, citing concerns that early voters would have cast their ballots by September.
The Commission on Presidential Debates, a nonpartisan organization responsible for coordinating debates for presidential candidates, had previously clashed with Trump over the handling of the 2020 presidential debates. Trump’s campaign criticized the commission for muting candidates’ mics when they weren’t speaking, particularly after Trump interrupted Biden during earlier debates. The campaign also accused moderator Chris Wallace of bias and objected to the decision to hold a virtual debate during the Covid-19 pandemic.
The ongoing back-and-forth between Trump and Biden regarding debates has captured the attention of the public and media. Both candidates seem eager to face off in a debate, with Trump offering to debate “ANYWHERE, ANYTIME, ANYPLACE” and Biden expressing his willingness to participate. As the debate schedule set by the Commission on Presidential Debates approaches, the anticipation for a potential debate showdown between the two former presidents continues to build.
