Biden Proposes Debate Terms with Trump, Rejecting Debate Commission

President Biden is open to debating former President Donald J. Trump at least twice before the election, as early as June, but his campaign has rejected the nonpartisan organization that has managed presidential debates since 1988. This was revealed in a letter obtained by The New York Times.

The letter from the Biden campaign outlines the president’s conditions for a televised confrontation with Trump, who has been eager for such an event. Trump quickly agreed to the two dates proposed by the Biden campaign, but it’s uncertain if he will accept the other terms.

Biden and his aides prefer the debates to start earlier than the dates suggested by the Commission on Presidential Debates, so voters can compare the candidates before early voting begins in September. They propose the debate to take place in a TV studio, with microphones that automatically mute when a speaker’s time limit is up. The event should only include the two candidates and the moderator, without a live audience or participation from other candidates.

Biden’s proposal indicates his willingness to take calculated risks to improve his standing in the race, as most battleground-state polls show him trailing Trump and struggling to convince voters of his effectiveness as a leader and economic steward.

This is the first formal offer from the Biden campaign for debates with Trump, who has repeatedly expressed his readiness to debate “anytime and anywhere.” Biden recently hinted at his willingness to debate Trump but had not provided a firm commitment or specific details until now.

The letter, signed by Biden’s campaign chair, Jennifer O’Malley Dillon, informs the Commission on Presidential Debates that Biden will not participate in the three general-election debates they have scheduled. Instead, O’Malley Dillon suggests that Biden will join debates hosted by news organizations, and the Biden team is open to negotiating directly with networks and the Trump team for potential debates.

Trump, in his response, expressed a desire for more than two debates and a “very large venue” for excitement. He accused Biden of being “afraid of crowds.”

O’Malley Dillon proposes the first debate in late June, after Trump’s New York criminal trial and Biden’s return from the Group of 7 summit. The second presidential debate should be in early September, to influence early voting but not require the candidates to leave the campaign trail. The Biden campaign also suggests a vice-presidential debate in late July, after the Republican National Convention.

Early votes are crucial, especially for Democrats. In the 2020 election, early votes gave Biden a decisive edge over Trump, who had advised his voters to vote only on Election Day. The Republican National Committee is now encouraging Republicans to vote early.

Trump leads Biden in most polls of battleground states, with more voters trusting Trump on the economy. The Biden campaign believes that a side-by-side debate, which could attract a large audience, is the most effective way to remind voters why Trump was removed from office in 2020.

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