In an interview with Howard Stern on SiriusXM Friday morning, President Joe Biden said he would square off against former President Donald Trump before November's election after the presumptive GOP nominee repeatedly issued challenges to his Democrat opponent.
"I am, somewhere," Biden told Stern when asked if he'd debate Trump. The president said he "didn't know" when the debate would take place but insisted he was "happy to debate" his challenger. Time will tell whether Biden meant what he said or if this turns out to be another incorrect pronouncement uttered by the octogenarian commander-in-chief.
As Townhall reported earlier this year, Trump has repeatedly challenged Biden to face him in a general election debate as they slog through a rematch of the 2020 showdown.
"It is important, for the Good of our Country, that Joe Biden and I Debate Issues that are so vital to America, and the American People," Trump said in one post on Truth Social. "Therefore, I am calling for Debates, ANYTIME, ANYWHERE, ANYPLACE! The Debates can be run by the Corrupt DNC, or their Subsidiary, the Commission on Presidential Debates (CPD)," the former president quipped. "I look forward to receiving a response. Thank you for your attention to this matter!"
Trump said in another post a few days later "IT'S TIME FOR CROOKED JOE BIDEN AND I TO DEBATE - WE OWE IT TO OUR COUNTRY. ANYTIME, ANYWHERE, ANYPLACE!"
In presidential election cycles of the past, the "nonpartisan" Commission on Presidential Debates (CPD) organized the showdowns between presidential and vice presidential nominees. Following the 2020 cycle, however, the members of the Republican National Committee voted to withdraw its nominees over unaddressed concerns about anti-Republican bias.
Now under new leadership, it seems the RNC and Trump are willing to return to CPD-organized debates — while demanding that changes be made to ensure debates take place before early voting starts.
Late last year, CPD announced its plans for the 2024 cycle:
CPD's first presidential debate is scheduled for Monday, September 16 at Texas State University in San Marcos followed by debates at Virginia State University in Petersburg on Tuesday, October 1 and at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City on Wednesday, October 9.
One vice presidential debate has been scheduled for Wednesday, September 25 at Lafayette College in Easton, Pennsylvania. All four forums for the 2024 general election will be 90 minutes long "without commercial interruption" and each will begin at 9:00 p.m. ET, according to CPD's announcement.
This is a developing story and may be updated.