A debate offer by President Joe Biden posted in a video on X on May 15, was accepted within the hour by a reply post on Truth Social by former President Donald Trump.
“Now he’s acting like he wants to debate me again,” President Biden said in the video. “Well, make my day, pal. I’ll even do it twice, so let’s pick the dates Donald—I hear you’re free on Wednesdays.”
“It’s time for a debate so that he can explain to the American People his highly destructive Open Border Policy, new and ridiculous EV Mandates, the allowance of Crushing Inflation, High Taxes, and his really WEAK Foreign Policy, which is allowing the World to ‘Catch on Fire.’ I am Ready and Willing to Debate Crooked Joe at the two proposed times in June and September,” President Trump said in his post on Truth Social.
President Trump was referring to dates proposed by the Biden campaign in a letter to the Commission on Presidential Debates on Wednesday, which noted the president would not be making an appearance at their pre-scheduled debates, instead calling for the campaigns to organize the debates themselves.
The commission had already scheduled one vice-presidential and three presidential debates, starting on Sept. 16, while the Biden campaign said in the letter they wanted to have the debates prior to early voting, with one in June and another in September.
Biden Campaign Declines Commission Debates
In the letter, Jen O'Malley Dillon, campaign chair for President Biden, announced that the Biden campaign plans to engage in debates hosted by news organizations, aiming for a format they believe better serves the interests of American voters.The campaign advocated for debates that provide “timely and relevant information” and facilitate a direct comparison between the two main candidates.
President Trump had previously expressed his willingness to debate President Biden “anytime, anywhere.”
The letter outlined several reasons for rejecting the commission’s traditional debate model, which starts after early voting has begun, missing the opportunity to influence the majority of voters.
They describe this approach as outdated and inadequate for modern election dynamics. They also argued that the current format of large, expensive spectacles with live audiences detracts from the quality of the debates—proposing a return to the simpler format of the 1960 televised debates, with only candidates and moderators present, focusing on the interests of the viewers at home rather than a live audience.
The letter also highlights the commission’s failure to enforce debate rules effectively in the 2020 election, leading to a disorderly evening, with the Biden campaign seeking a more structured and disciplined debate environment.
The proposed debates would feature firm time limits, alternating speaking turns, and controlled microphones to ensure orderly exchanges. The Biden campaign stresses the importance of a substantive debate on the issues rather than a “tedious debate about debates.”
The letter concludes with a call for both campaigns to quickly agree to these proposed debate invitations, emphasizing the necessity of providing American voters with meaningful and informative debates.
The president indicated he would be willing to debate during a radio interview with Howard Stern in April, stating again last week that he was preparing to debate the former president.
President Trump’s Response
President Trump responded further in his post on Truth Social, adding: “I would strongly recommend more than two debates and, for excitement purposes, a very large venue, although Biden is supposedly afraid of crowds - That’s only because he doesn’t get them. Just tell me when, I’ll be there. Let’s get ready to Rumble!!!”The Epoch Times received a copy of an April 11 letter from the campaign via email, authored by Trump campaign co-managers Susie Wiles and Chris LaCivita. The letter was sent to The Commission on Presidential Debates co-chairs Frank Farenkopf Jr. and Antonia Hernandez.
Ms. Wiles and Mr. LaCivita told the commission they were writing “in agreement with the pending letter from television networks advocating for presidential debates to occur in 2024.
“While the Commission on Presidential Debates has already announced three presidential debates and a vice-presidential debate to occur later this year, we are in favor of these debates beginning much earlier,” they wrote.
In their letter, Ms. Wiles and Mr. LaCivita pointed out that “voting is beginning earlier and earlier, and as we saw in 2020, tens of millions of Americans had already voted by the time of the first debate.”
Expressing disappointment with the proposed 2024 calendar, they stated that it arrives too late and included an estimate of the number of Americans who will have cast their ballots by the time each debate is scheduled.
“By the date of the first proposed debate, September 16, 2024, over 1 million Americans will have likely voted,” the Trump co-managers wrote. “By the date of the second proposed debate, October 1, 2024, the number of Americans who will have likely cast a ballot will be over 3 million, an increase of 225 percent.”
