In a marked departure from longstanding norms, President Joe Biden made a novel proposal to debate Donald Trump far earlier than usual—as soon as next month.
Within hours, the pair had agreed to a June 27 showdown in Atlanta on CNN, with the network later announcing that anchors Jake Tapper and Dana Bash would moderate. Following the Biden campaign’s request, there will be no studio audience.
A short time later, the two candidates revealed they’d also agreed to a Sept. 10 primetime debate hosted by ABC News. While the location of the ABC event wasn’t immediately announced, Biden trolled the former president in a tweet accepting the invitation.
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“Trump says he’ll arrange his own transportation. I’ll bring my plane, too. I plan on keeping it for another four years,” the president posted on X.
For weeks, the Trump campaign has been taunting Biden, asserting he wasn’t up for a debate and challenging him to throw down “anytime, any place.”
Biden is offering to debate Trump twice, not three times: once in June, after the former president’s criminal trial should be wrapped up, and again in September, before early voting starts. This means Biden would not participate in the three pre-scheduled nights set by the Commission on Presidential Debates.
“Donald Trump lost two debates to me in 2020,” Biden said in a video posted to X on Wednesday morning. “Since then, he hasn’t shown up for a debate. Now he’s acting like he wants to debate me again!”
Then Biden got a bit cheeky.
“Well make my day, pal,” Biden said. “I’ll even do it twice. Plus, pick the dates, Donald. I hear you’re free on Wednesdays,” the president added in a bit of trolling on his opponent’s court schedule.
The proposal also includes a July vice presidential debate.
Trump responded shortly after Biden released the video, telling his campaign’s preferred Fox News reporter he’s “ready to go” and that the proposed dates are “fine.”
“Let’s see if Joe can make it to the stand-up podium,” Trump said. “The proposed June and early September dates are fully acceptable to me. I will provide my own transportation.”
On Truth Social, he added: “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.”
Later on Wednesday morning, Trump told Fox News he’s “looking forward to being in beautiful Atlanta.”
