Staff Reports
President Joe Biden has issued a challenge to former President Donald Trump, proposing two debates before the general election in November. In a video released on Wednesday, President Biden asserted that he had won two debates against Trump in 2020 and that Trump had not shown up for a debate since. Biden expressed willingness to debate Trump again, stating, “Make my day, pal. I’ll even do it twice… I hear you’re free on Wednesdays.”
President Biden challenges former President Trump to two debates hosted in a television studio ahead of the November election.
Trump accepts, but says he disagrees with Biden's call to not debate in front of a crowd. https://t.co/qqv9Cwz7VQ
— NBC News (@NBCNews) May 15, 2024
Jen O’Malley Dillon, deputy campaign chair for Biden, also sent a letter to the Commission on Presidential Debates, informing them that the president would not participate in their events and laying out the proposed timeline for the debates. Michael Tyler, Biden’s communications director, explained that the first debate is proposed for late June, after Trump’s New York criminal trial is expected to conclude and after President Biden’s return from the G7 Summit. The second presidential debate is suggested for September, before the start of early voting. A vice presidential debate is also proposed for late July, following the Republican nomination of their vice presidential candidate.
The Trump campaign swiftly responded to Biden’s challenge, with senior adviser Steven Cheung calling the video announcement a “total disaster.” Cheung criticized Biden’s delivery in the video, highlighting the multiple jump cuts made during Biden’s reading.
Former President Trump has also initiated a debate challenge to President Biden by bringing an empty podium to some of his rallies. The status of the general election debates is currently uncertain, as there have been complaints from the Trump campaign regarding fairness. President Biden’s proposal for June and September debates, separate from the commission, has added a layer of uncertainty to the situation.
