Early this morning, President Biden’s campaign released a video with a challenge to former President Trump to do two debates. One debate would be in June and one would be in September.
The president’s campaign also suggested a vice-presidential debate in late July after the Republicans nominate their vice-presidential candidate.
“When you are behind, you want to debate,” said Democrat pollster Mark Penn. Biden wants to debate now because his poll numbers continue to bring bad news to his re-election campaign. The latest NYT
Biden channeled Clint Eastwood, kinda, to issue his challenge to Trump. “Make my day, pal.”
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.
Well, make my day, pal. pic.twitter.com/AkPmvs2q4u
— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) May 15, 2024
I wonder how many takes that short video required before his team could edit together a coherent video.
President Biden governs on defense, not offense, and his re-election campaign is doing the same. Trump called for a debate with Biden and said he would do it anywhere, any time. Biden’s response at that time was to laugh when a reporter asked about it.
The Biden campaign sent a letter to the Commission on Presidential Debates Wednesday morning. The campaign wants to bypass the Commission and its traditional three-date schedule of fall debates.
The Commission describes itself as bipartisan but any Republican voter will tell you that it seems to always skew to the Democrat candidate.
Late June is suggested for the first debate because it is assumed that Trump’s trial in Manhattan will be over by then. Notice that Sleepy Joe mentioned that Trump is “free on Wednesdays.” That is a reference to the fact that the court does not hold trials on Wednesday so that the judge can do other tasks outside of presiding over trials. Also, Biden will be back from the G7 summit.
“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. Well, make my day, pal,” Biden said in a video message shared earlier Wednesday morning. “I’ll even do it twice. So let’s pick the dates, Donald. I hear you’re free on Wednesdays.”
These are the demands set forth by Team Biden:
- Dates in June and September
- Only Biden-friendly outlets (my opinion) – CNN, ABC News, Telemundo or CBS News
- Bypass the Commission on Presidential Debates
- Microphones only active during each candidate’s turn to prevent Trump from responding to Biden as he speaks
- No audience
- No Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.
As expected, Trump responded quickly and said, ‘Let’s get ready to Rumble!!!’ Trump is more of a WWE and boxing kind of guy.
“Crooked Joe Biden is the WORST debater I have ever faced – He can’t put two sentences together! Crooked is also the WORST President in the history of the United States, by far,” Trump wrote. “It’s time for a debate so that he can explain to the American People his highly destructive Open Border Policy, new and ridiculous EV Mandates, the allowance of Crushing Inflation, High Taxes, and his really WEAK Foreign Policy, which is allowing the World to ‘Catch on Fire.’ I am Ready and Willing to Debate Crooked Joe at the two proposed times in June and September. 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’s a street fighter. Biden is a former senator used to its rules of debate. It’s the real world versus politicians. That is why Trump gets more reactions than Biden from the audience. It’s also why Biden doesn’t want a live audience.
Two hours after Biden’s first post on X about the debates, he posted one that claims CNN already reached out with a date.
I’ve received and accepted an invitation from @CNN for a debate on June 27th. Over to you, Donald. As you said: anywhere, any time, any place.
— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) May 15, 2024
This is a little too cute by half. Team Biden and CNN are in cahoots. It’s not a surprise that it sure looks like that. Biden will do interviews with CNN hacks, er, hosts, and it is a friendly outlet for him. Currently, the network is working hard to convince its shrinking audience that the case against Trump in Manhattan is a strong one, though no crime has even been mentioned.
You notice that Fox News Channel isn’t on Biden’s list. Biden has avoided FNC throughout his term in office. President Unity also took a swipe at Trump supporters in a different post on X today. It’s a fundraiser.
When I get up on stage, it’ll be me and this grassroots team versus Donald Trump and his MAGA minions. It will be democracy versus authoritarianism. Revenge and retribution versus a vision for our future.
Let’s defeat Donald Trump—together. Pitch in: https://t.co/3vieT8G04t
— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) May 15, 2024
This is a fundraiser, too:
We hear Donald’s free on Wednesdayshttps://t.co/DgGod9XXhI pic.twitter.com/NS5rq7yyqb
— Biden-Harris HQ (@BidenHQ) May 15, 2024
Trump appears to have accepted the debate offer in Atlanta.
The first match-up between the bitter political rivals will take place in Atlanta at 9 pm ET with no studio audience.
The debate will air live not just on CNN, but also CNN International, CNN en Español, CNN Max and CNN.com. No word yet on who the moderators will be in what promises to be a contentious rematch between the men who ran against each other in 2020.
A second debate has been accepted with ABC News for September 10. Who will moderate? George Stephanopoulos?
I’ve also received and accepted an invitation to a debate hosted by ABC on Tuesday, September 10th.
Trump says he’ll arrange his own transportation. I’ll bring my plane, too. I plan on keeping it for another four years.
— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) May 15, 2024
Air Force One isn’t “your” plane, Joe. It belongs to the American people.
This should be interesting. Will it happen? Does Biden’s campaign want to risk a feeble old man who is prone to morphing into Old Yeller going up against Trump? That remains to be seen. Biden’s poll numbers are so bad right now that his campaign cannot ignore them anymore. We’ll see if Team Biden chickens out at the last minute.