Donald Trump announced on Monday that he wants to debate President Biden “right now,” despite boycotting all Republican primary debates.
President Trump has criticized Biden for not being mentally fit to run against him, and appears to be questioning whether the commander-in-chief even intends to run for the White House again.
“He can’t do that because he can’t talk. He can’t do anything. He’s ruining our country. And I don’t think he’s going to run — if that’s the donor I don’t know if there is. It could be his family, it could be something,” the former president said.dan bongino show”
Trump added: “I want to have a discussion with him now because we should have a discussion in the national interest.”
Mr. Biden later laughed off Mr. Trump’s teasing.
“If I were him, I’d want to argue, too. There’s nothing else to do,” the president told reporters at Boba Tea in Las Vegas.
The team of President Trump’s last major Republican rival, former U.N. ambassador and South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, slammed the president for focusing on and ignoring Biden.
“We are pleased that Donald Trump has finally acknowledged the importance of the debate,” Olivia Perez-Cubas, Haley’s national press secretary, said in a statement.
“Now is the time for President Trump to stand up and agree to a debate with Nikki Haley. Nikki will use her conservative track record and vision for a strong and proud America to counter Trump’s campaign of chaos and revenge.” I’m ready to hit you.”
Mr. Trump has previously argued that fending off Republican rivals with low approval ratings on the debate stage is not worth his time.
Back in the 2020 election cycle, Trump and Biden faced off twice. One of the debates was canceled because President Trump contracted the coronavirus.
After the general election debate, the Republican National Committee criticized the Commission on Presidential Debates, which has organized this celebratory altercation for more than 30 years.
The RNC and Mr. Trump complained about the hosts, accusing them of bias. The RNC also claimed that it rejected the reforms the committee had called for.
Complicating matters somewhat for Mr. Trump is the fact that the RNC: blackmailed Prohibit candidates from participating in debates sponsored by the CPD.
Last year, the commission announced dates for three general election debates. Early voting proposals Environmental lawyer Robert F. Kennedy might meet the criteria to take the stage.
President Trump had previously expressed concerns about CPD as he pondered facing off against Biden on the debate stage.
“Oh, let’s look forward to that. How about 10 debates,” he quipped in an interview. Conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt Back in December.
“They’re corrupt,” he told Hewitt about CPD at the time. “They’re terrible. That being said, even if they hosted, I’d do 20 debates…I’d have a debate every night with this guy.”
Although the RNC is dissatisfied with the CPD, Mr. Trump will have strong influence over the organization if he is recognized by the Republican Party as its standard bearer.
He recently signaled a break with chairman Ronna McDaniel amid weak fundraising numbers.
“I think she did great when she ran in Michigan for me. I think she did well initially at the RNC. There will probably be some changes made at this point,” Trump told FOX. He spoke on Sunday Morning Futures.
