"Let's pick the dates, Donald": US President Biden challenges Trump for debate ahead of presidential polls
May 15, 2024
Washington, DC [US], May 15 : US President Joe Biden has challenged Donald Trump for a debate ahead of the upcoming presidential polls in a fiery video on Wednesday.
This is the Biden campaign's first official attempt to engage in debates with Trump, who has insisted on having as many debates as possible and has frequently stated that he will face his successor "anytime and anywhere," according to the New York Times.
Recently, Biden, posting a video of him on social media platform X, said he would take on Trump in a debate, but up until now, he had refrained from providing any concrete details or a formal promise.
In a video announcing his offer, Biden said, "Donald Trump lost two debates to me in 2020. Since then, he hasn't shown up for debate. Now he's acting like he wants to debate me again."
"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," the US President said as he taunted Trump.
https://x.com/JoeBiden/status/1790713878248038478
Meanwhile, in an immediate response, Trump too insulted Biden and called him "the WORST" debater.
According to the New York Times, Trump said he would like to see more than two debates and for "excitement purposes, a very large venue."
Calling Mr. Biden "the WORST" debater and "crooked," he accused the president of being "afraid of crowds."
The letter, which is addressed to the Commission on Presidential Debates and signed by Jennifer O'Malley Dillon, the chair of Biden's campaign, said that Biden will not be taking part in the three general election debates that the commission is sponsoring on September 16, October 1, and October 9.
Rather, O'Malley Dillon noted in the letter that Biden will take part in discussions facilitated by press outlets. This gives the Biden and maybe Trump teams the opportunity to directly negotiate with networks and with each other over potential debates, reported New York Times.
O'Malley Dillon proposed that the first debate will take place in late June, following Biden's return from vacation and after Trump's criminal trial in New York is finished.
Whereas, a second presidential debate should be held "in early 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," she writes.
