BIDEN AND TRUMP AGREE TO JUNE 27 CNN AND SEPTEMBER 10 ABC PRESIDENTIAL DEBATES
At a breakneck speed President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump have agreed to presidential debates. In the process of agreeing to these debates both candidates have nixed debates planned by bipartisan Commission on Presidential Debates. Why jump at debates so soon? The bottom line is that each candidate and their supporters believe debates […]
The post BIDEN AND TRUMP AGREE TO JUNE 27 CNN AND SEPTEMBER 10 ABC PRESIDENTIAL DEBATES appeared first on The Moderate Voice.
At a breakneck speed President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump have agreed to presidential debates. In the process of agreeing to these debates both candidates have nixed debates planned by bipartisan Commission on Presidential Debates.
Why jump at debates so soon? The bottom line is that each candidate and their supporters believe debates will expose the other’s weakness. Each side believes the old adage “familiarity breeds contempt” (for the other side).
President Biden and former president Donald Trump agreed Wednesday to a June 27 debate on CNN and a Sept. 10 debate broadcast by ABC News, hours after Biden announced he would bypass the decades-old tradition of three fall meetings organized by the bipartisan Commission on Presidential Debates.
Trump’s campaign team released a statement calling on Biden to agree to two more presidential debates in July and August.
“I am Ready and Willing to Debate Crooked Joe at the two proposed times,” Trump wrote earlier Wednesday on Truth Social. “I would strongly recommend more than two debates and, for excitement purposes, a very large venue, although Biden is supposedly afraid of crowds. …
“Just tell me when, I’ll be there,” he continued, before referencing a tag line from professional boxing. “‘Let’s get ready to Rumble!!!’
President Biden and Donald Trump both secured their parties’ nominations for the presidency, formalizing a general-election rematch.
The public agreement follows private back-channel discussions about possible meetings. The officials with the Biden and Trump campaigns have had informal conversations on debates in recent weeks, focused on meetings that would not involve the commission, according to two people familiar with the discussions who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss private events.
The CNN debate in Atlanta, which does not yet have an announced moderator, will be conducted without a live audience and is open to any presidential candidate who consistently polls above 15 percent in approved public surveys and is on enough state ballots to win a majority of electoral college votes, the network said. ABC News did not immediately release its qualification requirements.
The Biden proposal, outlined in a video message and letter to the commission, called for direct negotiations between the Trump and Biden campaigns over the rules, moderators and network hosts for the one-on-one encounters. Biden proposed a separate vice-presidential debate in July, after the Republican nominating convention and before the Democratic nominating convention.
The news is the latest development in a quickly escalating tit-for-tat over debates between the two political rivals. Biden’s campaign earlier called on Trump to join him for two presidential debates hosted by news organizations and formally informed the Commission on Presidential Debates that the president will not participate in its previously scheduled fall debates. The former president quickly said he was on board with earlier debates and told radio host Hugh Hewitt that he would accept any moderator.
Biden only recently said that he was happy to debate Trump, though he was non-committal on the format of such a debate, telling radio host Howard Stern, “I’m happy to debate him.” In a social media video and a subsequent letter to the Commission on Presidential Debates, Biden’s campaign laid out its proposed terms, including possible debate dates in June and September.
“Donald Trump lost two debates to me in 2020. Since then he hasn’t shown up for a debate. Now he’s acting like he wants to debate me again,” Biden said.
“Well, make my day, pal, I’ll even do it twice. So let’s pick the dates, Donald – I hear you’re free on Wednesdays,” Biden continued, alluding to Trump’s court schedule. In the letter, Biden’s campaign acknowledged that the first debate would likely take place after Trump’s criminal hush-money trial has concluded.
In a post to Truth Social on Wednesday, Trump accepted the revised schedule: “I am Ready and Willing to Debate Crooked Joe at the two proposed times in June and September,” adding that he would “strongly recommend” more than the two debates proposed. A senior Trump adviser told CNN they are “ready to debate” Biden, and reviewing the terms but are eager for an onstage match-up.
Trump’s team also called for the candidates to participate in four total debates – twice the number requested by Biden. The Biden campaign sidestepped questions about that request on Wednesday.
“President Biden didn’t mince his words in the video,” Biden’s deputy campaign manager Quentin Fulks told CNN’s Wolf Blitzer, adding, “He said two debates — one in June, one in September, before voters began casting their votes — no spectacle, respect for the rules.”
It appears that the Biden-Trump debate many presumed would never happen, for one reason or another, just came together faster, easier & w/ less haggling & negotiation, than any similarly high-profile debate in memory.
— David M. Drucker (@DavidMDrucker) May 15, 2024
Hook. Line. Sinker. https://t.co/RPlE1SC6DG
— Rachel Bitecofer ???? (@RachelBitecofer) May 15, 2024
Donald Trump will NEVER debate President Biden. Let’s all help call his bluff. #HumiliationForTrump
— Jack Hopkins (@thejackhopkins) May 15, 2024
"The debate will be held in the network’s Atlanta studios with no audience present – an anomaly in debates between presidential candidates" https://t.co/y0U1Q1qp2L
— Brian Stelter (@brianstelter) May 15, 2024
Biden is not a great debater but he won them in 2020 because Trump acted like a rabid beast with less verbal coherence. https://t.co/NMhTV6BWFE
— Michael Freeman (@michaelpfreeman) May 15, 2024
some scoopy details from @JonLemire on Biden world's thinking around the debates https://t.co/YGd7IVv7Xc pic.twitter.com/gKlJZWDCbl
— Sam Stein (@samstein) May 15, 2024
some scoopy details from @JonLemire on Biden world's thinking around the debates https://t.co/YGd7IVv7Xc pic.twitter.com/gKlJZWDCbl
— Sam Stein (@samstein) May 15, 2024
To the contrary, I think Biden wants a direct confrontation with Trump EARLY to shape the race on Biden’s terms. Plus – people start voting on September! Debates in October are too late. https://t.co/plInyPKQ12
— Jennifer Palmieri (@jmpalmieri) May 15, 2024
BREAKING: Joe Scarborough is praising President Biden for his straight shot challenging Donald Trump to multiple debates. Donald Trump looks scared if he doesn’t accept Biden’s challenge. Retweet to make sure all voters see this. pic.twitter.com/5NfIyNtYEM
— Biden’s Wins (@BidensWins) May 15, 2024
Trump says he wants to debate Biden, but he won't even testify in his own criminal trial. Got it.
— The Lincoln Project (@ProjectLincoln) May 15, 2024
Reminder of 2020:
First Debate: Biden won
Second Debate: Trump backed out like a coward
Third Debate: Biden wonOf course, Trump will find a reason to run away crying again.
— Alex Cole (@acnewsitics) May 15, 2024
The best part of the CNN debate is that there will be no live audience.
Live audiences have been ruining political debates for YEARS.
— Chris Cillizza (@ChrisCillizza) May 15, 2024
No matter what day they decide for a debate, Trump will back out pretending he’s going to Barton’s graduation.
— Hoodlum ?? (@NotHoodlum) May 15, 2024
Graphic: Dreamstime
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