President Biden on Monday accepted former President Trump’s challenge to an “immediate” debate.
Trump made the objection Monday during a radio appearance with conservative commentator Dan Bongino, saying the debate would be “good” for the country.
“We want to debate him now, because we should debate him. We should debate him for the sake of our country,” Trump said.
Biden was asked about Trump’s comments later in the day while campaigning in Nevada.
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President Biden on Monday accepted former President Trump’s challenge to an “immediate” debate. (Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images)
“Right now? Well, if I were him, I’d want to debate too. He doesn’t have anything else to do,” Biden told reporters.
With Trump holding an overwhelming lead in the Republican primary, the outlook for the general election debate is uncertain. The Republican National Committee will withdraw from the Commission on Presidential Debates in 2022, and President Trump himself has criticized the organization as “corrupt.”
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“They’re totally corrupt. They’re totally pro-Democrats. It’s nice to use the word slant,” Trump said in December, according to NBC News. “They are completely corrupt and awful. That being said, I would do 20 debates even if it was organized by them. I would do as many debates as they want. I’m going to have a debate every night.” This is the person who said, ‘I’m going to have a debate every night. But he never appears in the debate. ”
Former President Trump has said he is willing to hold “20” debates against President Biden, but predicts Democrats will never agree to hold one. (Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)
Trump’s renewed interest in debates comes after he flatly rejected calls to debate his challengers in the Republican primary.
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Trump’s only remaining challenger, former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, participated in multiple debates with other candidates during Trump’s absence.
Mr. Trump and his campaign argue that Mr. Trump’s large lead in Republican polls frees him from the obligation to debate distant opponents.
Former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley, former President Trump’s only remaining challenger, participated in multiple debates with other candidates while Trump abstained. (Getty)
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The Commission on Debate has so far scheduled three general election debates, but neither Trump nor Biden have publicly agreed to do so. According to NBC, debates are scheduled for September 16th at Texas State University in San Marcos, October 1st at Virginia State University in Petersburg, and October 9th at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City.
