Biden says he's "happy to debate" Trump before 2024 election

Washington — President Biden signaled for nan first clip publically that he is consenting to debate erstwhile President Donald Trump, his presumptive Republican opponent, up of November's wide election.

Asked during an hour-long question and reply connected Howard Stern's show connected SiriusXM if he would statement his rival, Mr. Biden replied, "I am, somewhere. I don't cognize when. I americium happy to statement him."

Mr. Biden said successful March that his committedness to a statement pinch Trump "depends connected his behavior." Asked astir a statement during a travel to Nevada successful February, Mr. Biden said, "If I were him, I'd want him to statement me, too. He's sewage thing other to do."

Following Mr. Biden's comments connected Friday, Chris LaCivita, a Trump run elder advisor and nan main operating serviceman of nan Republican National Committee, wrote, "Ok let's group it up !"

Mr. Biden's reply comes arsenic Trump and his run person called connected him to publically perpetrate to a debate. 

News organizations person besides urged nan 2 men to perpetrate to look off. CBS News and 11 different news outlets issued a statement earlier this period urging nan 2 to publically authorities their commitments to a statement successful nan fall. 

Trump and nan GOP person had a turbulent narration pinch nan Commission connected Presidential Debates, nan nonpartisan group that has organized wide predetermination debates since 1988. In 2022, nan RNC unanimously voted to prohibition early GOP statesmanlike nominees from participating successful debates put connected by nan committee. Then-RNC Chair Ronna McDaniel called nan committee "biased" and pressed for reforms connected really moderators were selected.

Trump did not participate successful immoderate 2024 GOP superior debates, many times citing his lead successful polling complete his GOP challengers. But successful an April missive to nan CPD, his campaign's elder advisers wrote they work together pinch nan "letter from tv networks" and asked for nan wide predetermination debates to statesman "much earlier" to relationship for early voting periods. 

"We person already indicated President Trump is consenting to statement anytime, anyplace, and anyplace — and nan clip to commencement these debates is now," nan Trump officials wrote.

The Biden run directed further questions astir a imaginable statement to Mr. Biden's reply to Stern connected Friday. 

In 2020, Mr. Biden and Trump debated twice. One statement was canceled aft Trump tested affirmative for COVID-19.

In November 2023, nan CPD announced nan dates for 3 statesmanlike debates successful 2024: Sept. 16, Oct. 1 and Oct. 9. One vice statesmanlike statement is besides scheduled for Sept. 25.