Special Poll
Ex-President Trump expressed his readiness on Tuesday to engage in as many debates as required with President Biden, emphasizing that such debates are a fundamental duty.
Despite his absence from the Republican primary debates, despite the race narrowing down to two contenders, Trump conveyed during a Fox News town hall with Laura Ingraham his belief in the necessity of participating in general election debates.
Trump asserted the importance of debating when it comes down to the final candidates from each party, irrespective of their standing in the polls, stating, “Frankly, I believe there’s a duty to debate when you’re the final Republican and Democrat.”
He expressed his eagerness to start debating immediately, although he doubted Biden’s willingness to engage in debates, saying, “I’d like to start right away, but I don’t believe he’s going to agree to debate.”
The 2024 election cycle has three presidential debates planned, starting in September.
Trump has used his strong lead in the polls as a reason to skip the primary debates, a move that hasn’t significantly impacted his standing with Republican voters, as evidenced by his victories in the first three primary elections.
Some analysts speculate that Trump’s decision to bypass the GOP primary debates might provide Biden with a pretext to avoid the general election debates. A representative from Biden’s campaign mentioned in December that the team would discuss debate participation in the future.
Trump’s readiness to debate Biden marks a shift, especially given his previous criticisms of the Commission on Presidential Debates, which he accused of bias. He has criticized the commission for various issues, including a microphone problem in 2016, dissatisfaction with moderators, and the cancellation of a 2020 debate with Biden due to COVID-19 concerns.
Last year, the Republican National Committee hinted that it might not allow its final nominee to take part in debates organized by the commission.