UPDATED 4:10 P.M.
WASHINGTON (Reuters) -U.S. President Joe Biden and Republican rival Donald Trump on Wednesday agreed to face off in two debates on June 27 and Sept. 10, setting up the highest stakes moments yet of the race for the White House.
“As you said: anywhere, any time, any place,” Biden said on social media.
Trump called Biden “the worst debater” he has ever faced. “I am Ready and Willing to Debate Crooked Joe at the two proposed times in June and September,” he posted on social media.
CNN, a division of Warner Bros Discovery, said the first debate would be held in their Atlanta studio with no audience, and would be moderated by anchors Jake Tapper and Dana Bash. Georgia is one of November’s most closely contested states.
The candidates also accepted an invitation from ABC, which will host a second debate on Sept. 10. A separate vice presidential debate has been proposed for July, after the Republican National Convention.
Key differences between the two sides remained on the terms of engagement. Biden said he would participate in those two debates under strict rules to reduce interruptions, while Trump called for more than two – and a very large venue “for excitement purposes.”
Debates, which will draw a U.S. live television audience in the tens of millions, are fraught with risks for both candidates, who face a tight race and low enthusiasm from voters.
Biden aides think debates could hurt Trump by exposing his positions on issues, including abortion, that they regard as political vulnerabilities.
Trump aides see Biden as prone to verbal slip-ups that could amplify voter concerns about the 81-year-old president’s age. Trump will be 78 by the time the first debate is held.
“Both candidates will be under greater scrutiny than they have ever been due to their age,” Alan Schroeder, a professor emeritus at Northeastern University who wrote the book “Presidential Debates: Risky Business on the Campaign Trial.” He called the debate “one of the only moments in which the candidates don’t have complete control.”
The first debate would take place after the June 15 conclusion of the Group of Seven summit in Italy and Trump’s criminal trial in New York.
DETAILS TO BE WORKED OUT
Biden’s debate proposal, the first formal offer by his campaign, ditched the decades-old tradition of three fall debates and called for direct negotiations between the Trump and Biden campaigns over the rules.
Asked about any preference for format or topics, Biden-Harris campaign spokesman Michael Tyler said some details remained to be worked out.
The move to accept debates shows Biden is willing to take a calculated risk to boost his opinion poll numbers in a race in which he is trailing Trump in key battleground states. In addition to his age, voters remain concerned about Biden’s handling of the economy.
Trump, who refused to debate his rivals during the Republican nominating race, has in recent weeks been challenging Biden to a one-on-one matchup with him, arguing that debates should be held before early voting begins in some states. He told conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt the debate should be two hours long and that both men should be required to stand.
Biden’s team earlier requested that only broadcast networks that hosted Republican primary debates in 2016 and Democratic primary debates in 2020 be eligible to host this year. Only four networks hosted debates for both parties during those election cycles: CNN, Telemundo, CBS News and ABC News.
The Biden team showed no signs of accepting Trump’s invitation for more debates. A Biden campaign spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment on the issue.
Biden said he would not take part in the traditional televised showdowns organized by the Commission on Presidential Debates, rejecting the nonpartisan organization that has managed them since 1988.
Trump had also expressed interest in bypassing the commission, and the Republican National Committee announced in 2022 that the party would leave the commission’s debate system altogether.
In a letter explaining the decision, Biden’s campaign chair, Jennifer O’Malley Dillon, cited the commission’s past struggles to keep candidates from violating debate rules. She notified the commission that Biden will not be participating in the three general-election debates sponsored by the group, which are scheduled for Sept. 16, Oct. 1 and Oct. 9. The commission could not be reached for a comment.
“The debates should be conducted for the benefit of the American voters, watching on television and at home — not as entertainment for an in-person audience with raucous or disruptive partisans and donors, who consume valuable debate time with noisy spectacles of approval or jeering,” Dillon said.
Biden’s campaign also pressed for a debate that would occur before early voting started and without the participation of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. or any other independent or third-party candidates.
“They are trying to exclude me from their debate because they are afraid I would win,” Kennedy said on social media.
(Reporting by Nandita Bose and Nathan Layne; Additional reporting by Doina Chiacu, Stephanie Kelly and Jarrett Renshaw; Editing by Trevor Hunnicutt and Jonathan Oatis)
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UPDATE: 10:22 A.M.
WASHINGTON (Reuters) -U.S. President Joe Biden and Republican rival Donald Trump said on Wednesday they would accept an invitation from CNN for a debate on June 27.
The announcements came after Biden, a Democrat, for the first time laid out his terms for taking on the former president on national television.
Biden called on his opponent to join him for two televised presidential debates in June and September, an offer Trump accepted via a post on his Truth Social platform. Trump recommended more than two debates – and a very large venue “for excitement purposes.”
Biden later said he had accepted the June debate invitation from CNN, and Fox News reported that Trump said he intended to do the same.
“I’ll be there,” Trump said, according to Fox.
The Democratic president’s proposal, the first formal offer by his campaign, ditched the decades-old tradition of three fall debates and called for direct negotiations between the Trump and Biden campaigns over the rules, network hosts and moderators. He also proposed a separate vice presidential debate in July, after the Republican National Convention.
Biden’s move shows he is willing to take some calculated risks to boost his opinion poll numbers in a race in which he is trailing Trump in key battleground states, as voters remain concerned about his age and his handling of the economy.
“Donald Trump lost two debates to me in 2020. Since then he hasn’t shown up for a debate,” Biden said in a video message posted on X. “Now he’s acting like he wants to debate me again. Make my day, pal. I’ll even do it twice.”
Trump responded to Biden by calling him “the worst debater” he has ever faced. “I am Ready and Willing to Debate Crooked Joe at the two proposed times in June and September,” he posted.
“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,” Trump added.
Trump, who refused to debate his rivals in the Republican primary race, has in recent weeks been challenging Biden to engage in a one-on-one matchup with him, offering to debate the incumbent Democrat “anytime, anywhere, anyplace.”
Biden said he would like to debate Trump on the repeal of the Roe v. Wade decision that guaranteed a national right to abortion, the threat the former president poses to democracy, and Trump’s economic plans.
Trump told conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt the debate should be two hours long and that both men should be required to stand.
Biden’s team earlier requested that only broadcast networks that hosted Republican primary debates in 2016 and Democratic primary debates in 2020 be eligible to host this year. Only four networks hosted debates for both parties during those election cycles: CNN, Telemundo, CBS News and ABC News.
SHUNNING THE DEBATE COMMISSION
Biden said he would not take part in the traditional televised showdowns organized by the Commission on Presidential Debates, rejecting the nonpartisan organization that has managed presidential debates since 1988.
Trump has also previously expressed interest in bypassing the commission, and the Republican National Committee announced in 2022 that the party would leave the commission’s debate system altogether.
In a letter explaining the decision, Biden’s campaign chair, Jennifer O’Malley Dillon, cited the commission’s past struggles to keep candidates from violating the debate rules. She notified the commission that Biden will not be participating in the three general-election debates sponsored by the group, which are scheduled for Sept. 16, Oct. 1 and Oct. 9.
“The debates should be conducted for the benefit of the American voters, watching on television and at home — not as entertainment for an in-person audience with raucous or disruptive partisans and donors, who consume valuable debate time with noisy spectacles of approval or jeering,” she said.
The Biden campaign wants the debates to start much sooner than the dates proposed by the commission, so voters can see the two candidates side by side before early voting begins in September. The first debate would take place after the June 15 conclusion of the Group of Seven summit in Italy and the conclusion of Trump’s criminal trial in New York.
The campaign also wants it to be just the two candidates and the moderator — without an in-person audience and the participation of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. or any other independent or third-party candidates.
Kennedy and other third-party contenders would not qualify under the commission’s rules given their current rankings in polling and ballot access.
(Reporting by Nandita Bose and Doina Chiacu; Additional reporting by Nathan Layne, Trevor Hunnicutt and Stephanie Kelly, Editing by Susan Heavey, Gareth Jones and Jonathan Oatis)
WASHINGTON (Reuters) -U.S. President Joe Biden said on Wednesday he was willing to debate Republican rival Donald Trump twice before the Nov. 5 election, laying out for the first time his terms for taking on the former president on national television.
Biden called on his opponent to join him for two televised presidential debates in June and September, an offer Trump accepted via a post on his Truth Social platform. Trump recommended more than two debates – and a very large venue “for excitement purposes.”
The Democratic president’s proposal, the first formal offer by his campaign, ditched the decades-old tradition of three fall debates and called for direct negotiations between the Trump and Biden campaigns over the rules, network hosts and moderators. He also proposed a separate vice presidential debate in July, after the Republican National Convention.
Biden’s move shows he is willing to take some calculated risks to boost his opinion poll numbers in a race in which he is trailing Trump in key battleground states, as voters remain concerned about his age and his handling of the economy.
“Donald Trump lost two debates to me in 2020. Since then he hasn’t shown up for a debate,” Biden said in a video message posted on X. “Now he’s acting like he wants to debate me again. Make my day, pal. I’ll even do it twice.”
Trump responded to Biden by calling him “the worst debater” he has ever faced. “I am Ready and Willing to Debate Crooked Joe at the two proposed times in June and September,” he posted.
“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,” Trump added.
Trump, who refused to debate his rivals in the Republican primary race, has in recent weeks been challenging Biden to engage in a one-on-one matchup with him, offering to debate the incumbent Democrat “anytime, anywhere, anyplace.”
In the video, Biden also took a swipe at Trump’s legal troubles with an oblique reference to the weekly Wednesday breaks in Trump’s hush money trial in New York.
“So let’s pick the dates, Donald. I hear you’re free on Wednesdays,” Biden said.
Biden’s team also requested that only broadcast networks that hosted Republican primary debates in 2016 and Democratic primary debates in 2020 be eligible to host this year. Only four networks hosted debates for both parties during those election cycles: CNN, Telemundo, CBS News and ABC News.
SHUNNING THE DEBATE COMMISSION
Biden said he would not take part in the traditional televised showdowns organized by the Commission on Presidential Debates, rejecting the nonpartisan organization that has managed presidential debates since 1988.
Trump has also previously expressed interest in bypassing the commission, and the Republican National Committee announced in 2022 that the party would leave the commission’s debate system altogether.
In a letter explaining the decision, Biden’s campaign chair, Jennifer O’Malley Dillon, cited the commission’s past struggles to keep candidates from violating the debate rules. She notified the commission that Biden will not be participating in the three general-election debates sponsored by the group, which are scheduled for Sept. 16, Oct. 1 and Oct. 9.
“The debates should be conducted for the benefit of the American voters, watching on television and at home — not as entertainment for an in-person audience with raucous or disruptive partisans and donors, who consume valuable debate time with noisy spectacles of approval or jeering,” she said.
The Biden campaign wants the debates to start much sooner than the dates proposed by the commission, so voters can see the two candidates side by side before early voting begins in September. The first debate would take place after the June 15 conclusion of the Group of Seven summit in Italy and the conclusion of Trump’s criminal trial in New York.
The campaign also wants it to be just the two candidates and the moderator — without an in-person audience and the participation of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. or any other independent or third-party candidates.
Kennedy and other third-party contenders would not qualify under the commission’s rules given their current rankings in polling and ballot access.
Asked about any preference for format or topics, Biden-Harris campaign spokesman Michael Tyler said there were still some details to work out, including network moderators.
“We want to make sure that we have a conversation that is structured on the issues the American people care about,” he said.
(Reporting by Nandita Bose and Doina Chiacu; Editing by Susan Heavey, Gareth Jones and Jonathan Oatis)
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