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Former President Donald Trump is challenging President Biden to debate “anytime” at any venue, as television networks press the candidates to commit to debates before the November election.
Mr. Trump, in a video on Truth Social, said Mr. Biden needs to talk about “what he’s doing and where we’re going.”
“We owe it to our country, we owe it to all Americans. Anytime, anywhere, anyplace,” Mr. Trump said.
One-on-one debates before a presidential election are customary. But Mr. Trump frequently says debate moderators are biased against him, and the Republican National Committee voted in 2022 to withdraw from the Commission on Presidential Debates.
Mr. Biden hasn’t committed to debating Mr. Trump, saying in March it “depends on his behavior.”
Some Democrats see debating Mr. Trump as a fool’s errand, given the presumptive GOP nominee’s proclivity to interrupt his opponents and take over proceedings.
While the major candidates waffle, five major television networks — NBC, CBS, ABC, Fox News and CNN — have reportedly drafted a letter urging the pair to debate. The letter says debates have been a fixture of presidential elections for decades and that tens of millions of Americans would tune in to hear the candidates.
“Though it is too early for invitations to be extended to any candidates, it is not too early for candidates who expect to meet the eligibility criteria to publicly state their support for — and their intention to participate in — the Commission’s debates planned for this fall,” says the letter first obtained by The New York Times.
Mr. Trump issued his challenge to Mr. Biden in a string of videos that were posted to his social media channel late Wednesday.
Mr. Trump accused Mr. Biden of prosecuting him in court to paper over missteps in his administration and public presence.
“He can’t put two sentences together, he can’t do anything, so they weaponize government and they take me to court on bull——,” Mr. Trump said.
• Tom Howell Jr. can be reached at thowell@washingtontimes.com.
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