Biden Deflects Trump Debate Offer

President Joe Biden appeared to throw cold water on the idea of debating former President Donald Trump during a campaign event this week. The president’s statement came after Trump challenged Biden to a debate now, rather than waiting until the traditional debates later in the election cycle.

During a campaign stop in Nevada, Biden asked if Trump meant immediately, and not closer to the election. He said that the former president had “nothing else to do.”

Biden also added that if he were the former president, “I’d want to debate me, too.”

LOL Biden: "If I were [Trump], I'd wanna debate me, too." pic.twitter.com/Fh4XTr82iE

— Daily Wire (@realDailyWire) February 6, 2024

Trump announced the challenge Monday during a radio interview.

“I’d like to debate him now because we should debate. We should debate for the good of the country,” he said.

Trump’s eagerness to debate is different than his approach during the Republican primary season. The former president declined to debate any of the other candidates, with his campaign instead stating that the debates were tryouts for the position of vice president.

Trump has not discussed debating former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley (R), the only other candidate still in the 2024 GOP primary race.

Only two of the three traditional presidential debates were held in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Many political commentators and conservatives believe that Trump’s debate performances during the 2016 campaign were key to him winning the GOP nomination and the general election.

However, it is not clear whether or not there will be a formal debate later in the year. In 2022 the Republican National Committee (RNC) removed itself from the Commission on Presidential Debates. Trump also called the organization “totally corrupt” and “totally Democrat-leaning.”

“They are totally corrupt, and they’re terrible. With that being said, I would do 20 debates even if it was organized by them. I’ll do as many debates as they want,” said the former president.

“I’d do a debate every night with this guy. But he’ll never show up to a debate,” Trump said late last year.