OAN’s James Meyers
8:37 AM – Wednesday, May 15, 2024
45th President Donald Trump said Wednesday that he is “ready and willing” to debate President Joe Biden after the Biden campaign made the proposal of holding two debates, one in June and one in September.
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Trump called out Biden in a post on Truth Social, claiming Biden is “the WORST debater I have ever faced” and said the two should discuss border policy, electric vehicles and inflation, among other topics.
“I am Ready and Willing to Debate Crooked Joe at the two proposed times in June and September,” Trump 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. Just tell me when, I’ll be there. ‘Let’s get ready to Rumble!!!’”
Trump also said in a separate statement to Fox News Digital that the proposed dates were “fully acceptable.”
“I will provide my own transportation,” he said.
The announcement comes after both sides have held private back-channel discussions about possible meetings. The officials representing both sides have privately had informal conversations on debates in recent weeks, while focusing on meetings that would not involve the Commission on Presidential Debates.
This would be the first debate in 2024 for Trump, who skipped every GOP primary debate, pointing to his lead over his GOP rivals.
The Biden campaign said it would work directly with news organizations to set up the debates, spurning the commission, which has facilitated the debates between presidential candidates since 1988.
According to Biden’s campaign chair Jen O’Malley Dillon, she suggested working with outlets that hosted GOP primary debates in 2016 and Democrat primary debates in 2020 to avoid any bias perception.
Meanwhile, the Commission on Presidential Debate had announced dates for three presidential debates beginning in mid-September. However, Trump’s team argued to the commission that they should add more debates and host them earlier, due to the fact that Americans could have casted their ballots before the second debate’s scheduled date in early October.
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