- Former President Donald Trump issued a debate challenge to President Joe Biden on Wednesday
- Biden has still not committed to the three presidential debates in the general election scheduled for November
- Biden spoke about his participation in the debate as he left Washington, DC for Philadelphia
President Joe Biden on Friday appeared open to the idea of declining to debate former President Donald Trump before the 2024 election.
The president spoke briefly about the debates during comments with reporters on the tarmac before departing on Air Force One for a trip to Philadelphia.
When a reporter asked whether he would commit to debating Trump, Biden responded curtly: “Depends on his behavior.”
Biden’s comment is the president’s first response to former President Donald Trump’s debate challenge on Wednesday.
“It is important, for the good of our country, that Joe Biden and I debate issues so vital to America and the American people,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social media platform. ‘That’s why I call for debates, ALWAYS, EVERYWHERE, EVERYWHERE!’
President Joe Biden on Friday appeared open to the idea of declining to debate former President Donald Trump before the 2024 election
Donald Trump challenged Joe Biden to a debate on Wednesday, promising him “ALWAYS, EVERYWHERE, EVERYWHERE!” to meet.
Questions about whether Biden would even appear at the debates began in earnest after White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre repeatedly refused on Wednesday to record Biden’s attendance at the debates. The campaign also declined to commit, telling reporters they would talk about it “at the right time in this cycle.”
The debates are organized and led by the Commission on Presidential Debates, which has already announced the planned events before Election Day.
The first debate will be held on September 16 at Texas State University in San Marcos, the second will be held on October 1 at Virginia State University in Petersburg, and the third and final debate will be held on October 9 at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City. The vice presidential debate will take place on September 25 at Lafayette College in Easton, Pennsylvania.
During the first presidential debate of 2020, Biden was thoroughly irritated as Trump repeatedly interrupted and talked over his rival, while moderator Fox News host Chris Wallace fought to keep both candidates in check.
When Trump pressed Biden to answer a question about whether he would try to pack the Supreme Court, an exasperated Biden ultimately snapped.
“Will you shut up, man?” he said.
Wallace later described the debate as ‘a terrible missed opportunity.’
“I never dreamed it would go off track like this,” he said.