After weeks of speculation and pressure from both sides, it seems that Donald Trump and Joe Biden may finally be on the path to meeting on the debate stage ahead of the upcoming election. Biden recently expressed his willingness to debate Trump, stating in an interview with Howard Stern that he would be “happy to” engage in a debate with the president.
In response, Trump took to Truth Social to challenge Biden, stating, “ANYWHERE, ANYTIME, ANYPLACE.” This back-and-forth comes after a series of calls from Republicans urging for debates to happen, with the core argument being that Trump wants to debate and Biden owes it to the American people to stand on stage with him.
The Trump campaign has been pushing for earlier debates, citing the need to reach voters before they make a decision. Trump’s team is confident in his ability to excel on the debate stage and sees calling for debates as a strategic move to force Biden’s team to make a decision early on.
While the Biden campaign is not rushing to commit to a specific date or format for the debates, they are watching Trump’s enthusiasm for the debates with skepticism. Biden had previously conditioned debates with Trump on his behavior, indicating that debates may not be a deciding factor in the election.
Debates have been a longstanding tradition in presidential elections, with candidates engaging in televised debates since 1960. While the value of debates may be debated, the upcoming potential face-off between Trump and Biden is sure to be a highly anticipated event for voters.