Former President Trump said Tuesday that he is willing to debate President Biden as many times as necessary, saying the two sides have an “obligation” to debate.
President Trump, who has refused to participate in Republican primary debates even though the field has been narrowed down to two candidates, will appear in a Fox News town hall with Laura Ingraham for the general election debate. He said he believed it was his duty to do so.
“Frankly, I think we have an obligation. If we have the last Republican and the last Democrat, we have to debate regardless of the polls,” Trump said.
Trump added that he would do “as much as necessary.”
President Trump said, “I want to start now.” “I do not think so [Biden’s] I’m going to discuss it. I really don’t think so. ”
Three presidential debates are scheduled for the 2024 cycle, starting in September.
Mr. Trump used his large approval ratings to justify refusing to participate in primary debates and easily won the first three primaries at no great cost to Republican voters.
Some experts have suggested that President Trump’s decision to sit out the Republican primary debates could give Biden justification for refusing to participate in the general election debates. A Biden campaign official said in December that the president’s team would “have those conversations” about future debates.
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The former president’s willingness to debate Biden comes as polls show Trump with a narrow lead in several key battleground states. This marks a change in attitude from Trump, who has long accused the Commission on Presidential Debates of being biased.
President Trump pointed out technical problems with his microphone during the 2016 debate, complained to the moderator, and decided to cancel the 2020 debate with Biden due to concerns about COVID-19. and the committee.
The Republican National Committee signaled last year that it would not allow the final nominee to participate in debates hosted by the committee.
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