Former President Trump hinted at the White House as a venue for a debate with President Biden, saying he would “be very comfortable.”
Hours later in a Manhattan courtroom for the eighth day of his criminal trial, the presumptive 2024 Republican presidential nominee reiterated that he would debate Biden “anytime, anywhere.”
Biden broke his silence on a debate about his 2024 opponent in an interview with radio host Howard Stern on Friday. Biden said he would be “happy” to debate Trump.
Trump campaign urges Biden to debate ‘sooner and more often’
After Stern said he didn’t know if Biden would participate in the debate, Biden said, “I’ll be somewhere, but I don’t know when.” “I’m happy to discuss him.”
Trump posted on his Truth Social account on Friday, shortly after his interview with Biden during a visit to New York, inviting him to debate Biden at a lower Manhattan courthouse.
Former President Donald Trump speaks to the media after leaving the court during his trial on charges of concealing hush money payments in Manhattan Criminal Court in New York City on April 22, 2024. (Brendan McDiarmid Pool/Getty Images)
“Or he’s in New York City today, and maybe he doesn’t know it, but so am I, and one of the many trials he’s instigated for election interference against his political opponents, an ongoing witch hunt.” I’m caught up in this!” Trump posted on Truth Social. “That’s the only way I think he can win. In fact, let’s have a debate tonight in court. On national television, I’ll be waiting!”
After court ended on Friday, President Trump appeared in court and reflected on the day of his testimony.
“We’re sitting here day in and day out. That’s their plan,” Trump said of Democrats, saying they want to win the election. “But I doubt that because the poll numbers are very good for us.”
President Trump told reporters he had invited Biden to the debate.
Trump calls for debate with Biden ‘anytime, anywhere, anywhere’
“He can do it anytime he wants, including tonight. He can do it tonight,” Trump said. “I invited him to court and he is holding us. This is a well-orchestrated attack on a political opponent.”
Trump added: “But I’m here. I’m ready, I’m willing, I’m able.”
“If he wants, we’ll do it Monday night, Tuesday night and Wednesday night,” Trump said.
President Trump said Wednesday night that he would be campaigning in Michigan, a state that Biden “destroyed because of the auto industry,” and that auto-related jobs are being destroyed by “Biden’s ridiculous electric vehicle mandate.” “All of this is flowing to China,” he said.
“But we’re going to do it on national television Monday night, Tuesday night, Wednesday night, Thursday night, Friday night,” Trump said. “I’m ready. Please tell me where.”
President Joe Biden speaks at the IBEW Construction and Maintenance Conference, Friday, April 19, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon) (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
President Trump said, “We will do it at the White House.” “Actually, it would be very comfortable. Just tell me where it is and I’ll be ready.”
Trump told reporters that Biden is “obviously not in court right now.”
Biden says discussion with Trump ‘depends on his actions’
“I haven’t heard anything, but I said I would like to debate today,” Trump said. “But he won’t argue. I don’t think he will argue. Maybe he will. Maybe he will. I don’t know if he has a choice. ”
He added: “We’re ready, we’re willing, we’re capable. We haven’t seen him and we don’t think he’ll be here. Maybe next week he’ll be. ” he added.
“I doubt that,” President Trump said. “But maybe next week.”
Earlier this month, the Trump campaign called for an additional presidential debate to be held in 2024 “much sooner” than the Commission on Debates had originally proposed.
Donald Trump answers questions as Democratic presidential candidate and former Vice President Joe Biden listens attentively during the final presidential debate held at the Curb Event Center at Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee, USA on October 22, 2020.・US President Trump.Molly Gash/Pool via Reuters – Corrected byline (Molly Gash/Pool, via Reuters)
Shortly afterward, President Trump said in an exclusive interview with Fox News Digital that he would be “fully committed” to debating President Biden “anytime, anywhere.”
As for Biden, until today he had yet to commit to a debate with his opponent.
Asked last month if he planned to debate the former president, Biden said it would depend on Trump’s “actions.”
“It depends on what he does,” Biden said.
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Earlier this year, Biden addressed earlier calls for an early debate with Trump.
“If it were me, I would debate him,” Biden told reporters in Nevada, when asked about Trump’s desire to debate him early in the election cycle.
“He doesn’t have anything else to do,” Biden said.
