Former President Donald Trump is responding to a debate proposal offered by President Joe Bidenâs campaign.
In a letter obtained by The New York Times, the Biden campaign proposed holding two debates, one as early as late-June and the other in early-September.
Speaking to Fox News Digitalâs Brooke Singman, Trump said, âIâm ready to go⌠The dates that they proposed are fine⌠Letâs see if Joe can make it to the stand-up podium.â
âThe proposed June and early September dates are fully acceptable to me. I will provide my own transportation,â he added.
Trump also took a shot at his debate opponent, telling Singman, âCrooked Joe Biden is the worst debater I have ever facedâhe canât put two sentences together and is the worst president in the history of the United States, by far.â
Trump has repeatedly challenged Biden to agree to a debate, saying he is âready to go anywhere that you are.â
In a video posted on X Wednesday morning, Biden said, âDonald Trump lost two debates to me in 2020. Since then he hasnât shown up for a debate.â
His comment refers to Trumpâs decision to skip every debate in the 2024 Republican presidential primary.
âNow, heâs acting like he wants to debate me again. Well, make my day, pal. Iâll even do it twice. So letâs pick the dates, Donald. I hear youâre free on Wednesdays,â he added.
On Wednesday, The New York Times reported the Biden campaign offered a proposal for presidential debates this year.
The campaign said the president is willing to debate Trump twice ahead of the election. However, it also expressed a desire that the debates be scheduled well ahead of when voting begins â even as early as June. It proposed hold the second debate in âearly September at the start of the fall campaign season, early enough to influence early voting, but not so late as to require the candidates to leave the campaign trail in the critical late September and October period.â
Additionally, the campaign said it wants the debate to occur in a TV studio, without an audience, and have microphones that will automatically cut off the candidate when their time is up, and they do not want to have third-party hopeful Robert F. Kennedy Jr. included.
The Times also noted, âThe letter, signed by Mr. Bidenâs campaign chair, Jennifer OâMalley Dillon, and addressed to the Commission on Presidential Debates, notifies the group that Mr. Biden will not be participating in the three general-election debates sponsored by the commission, which are scheduled for Sept. 16, Oct. 1 and Oct. 9.â
As for the networks that would host the debate, the Biden campaign suggested only networks that held a Republican primary debate in 2016 and a Democratic primary debate in 2020 should be able to host one in 2024. The Times points out, âNetworks that meet that mark include CBS News, ABC News, CNN and Telemundo.â
