Donald Trump, apparently feeling quite confident after his debate showing against President Joe Biden late last month, on Tuesday offered the likely Democratic nominee the opportunity to “redeem himself in front of the entire world” via a follow-up debate at some point this week, while also challenging Biden to a round of golf.
At a rally in Doral, Florida, alongside potential running mates Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) and Rep. Byron Donalds (R-FL), Trump opened by seeking to capitalize on the disagreements among Democrats regarding Biden’s candidacy, which has been under the microscope since his poor debate performance on June 27.
“Our victory was so absolute that Joe’s own party now wants him to throw in the towel and surrender the presidency after a single 90-minute performance. They want ‘Crooked Joe’ out of the race. It’s a shame the way they’re treating him,” Trump said, before telling his audience not to pity him because “he’s a very bad guy.”
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“So tonight, I’m officially offering Joe the chance to redeem himself in front of the entire world ... Let’s do another debate this week so that sleepy Joe Biden can prove to everyone all over the world that he has what it takes to be president,” Trump proposed.
This rematch, however, would not be moderated, Trump said.
“It will be man to man. No moderators, no holds barred. Just name the place. Anytime, anywhere.”
Trump’s second challenge for Biden was also rooted in a debate moment: when the pair insisted on bragging about their respective golf skills.
After mocking his successor’s swing, Trump said he was also challenging Biden to an 18-hole match at his golf resort in Doral, where he was currently speaking.
“It will be among the most-watched sporting events in history—maybe bigger than the Ryder Cup or even The Masters,” he predicted, adding that he would allow Biden a ten-shot advantage for the front and back nine.
Trump then offered to put money on the line.
“If he wins, I will give the charity of his choice—any charity that he wants—$1 million. And I will bet you he does not take the offer, because he’s all talk,” said Trump, who illegally misused charity money at the Trump Foundation and was forced by a judge to pay a $2 million fine for doing so. (One such payment that came out of the foundation, which no longer exists, was golf-related: $158,000 to resolve a lawsuit over a prize for a hole-in-one contest at a course that Trump owned.)
The Biden campaign quickly dismissed Trump’s offer.
“Donald Trump hasn’t been seen in public for 12 days, now he’s inviting fictional serial killers to dinner, teasing lil’ Marco Rubio, praising Project 2025 architect Tom Homan, and challenging the President of the United States to golf,” it said in a statement.
“We’d challenge Donald Trump to create jobs, but he lost 3 million. We’d challenge Donald Trump to stand up to Putin, but he bent the knee to him. We’d challenge Donald Trump to follow the law, but he breaks it. We’d challenge Donald Trump to not destroy our country, but that’s all his Project 2025 aims to do,” the campaign added.
“Joe Biden doesn’t have time for Donald Trump’s weird antics—he’s busy leading America and defending the free world. Donald Trump is a liar, a convict, and a fraud only out for himself—par for the course.”
