President Joe Biden said he will be ready to debate former President Donald Trump before this year’s election in November.
US President Joe Biden said on June 24 that he would participate in the general election debate with former President Donald J. Trump, a notable change after months of him and his campaign refusing pledged to appear on stage with his Republican opponent.
Mr. Biden’s announcement answered a question from radio host Howard Stern. When Mr. Stern asked President Biden if he would debate with Mr. Trump, the President replied: “I have. I don’t know when, but I’d be happy to debate with him”.
A 2020 debate between Mr. Donald Trump and Mr. Joe Biden. (Photo: NYT)
This is the first time Mr. Biden has clearly said he will debate Mr. Trump in this election. Previously, he did not elaborate and said it depended on the former president’s behavior.
Some Biden aides have questioned whether Trump will adhere to established rules in any potential debates, and before the above statement, his campaign had not yet laid out any Any specific debate plan?
Earlier this month, dozens of America’s largest news organizations published an open letter calling on Biden and Trump to participate in televised debates before the 2024 election.
The Commission on Presidential Debates has scheduled three presidential debates for September and October in Texas, Virginia and Utah.
Trump, who refused to participate in the Republican primary debates, posted on social media that he would debate Biden “anytime, anywhere” despite the Republican National Committee dropping unanimous vote in 2022 to withdraw from the Commission on Presidential Debates.
Biden responded to Trump’s call for debates earlier in February, telling reporters: “If I were him, I’d also want to argue. He has nothing else to do“. After Mr. Biden made comments on Stern’s show, Trump’s campaign manager Chris LaCivita responded on social media: ‘OK, let’s get ready!’.
Mr. Trump, who is in court in Manhattan in a criminal trial, responded by reaffirming his desire to debate. He even suggested arguing as early as next week, or even “in Court tonight – on National Television, I’ll wait!”.
The US holds a presidential election on November 5, 2024. This will be the 60th presidential election in the country’s history. The 2024 US general election will witness a rematch between candidates Joe Biden, 81 years old, and Donald Trump, 77 years old.
Quartz (Source: CNN)
