It's been something of an atypical primary season, though that's also the Republican Party in the age of Donald Trump. The frontunner participated in no debates for the 2024 primaries, and yet still won the Iowa Republican Caucus and New Hampshire Republican Primary by record numbers. He also sat out for one of those debates during the 2016 Republican primary season, though he debated Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton that year and Joe Biden for 2020. It appears he's looking to debate Biden again for the rematch we're likely to see.
While talking about issues facing Biden with Dan Bongino on Monday, including how he's turned down a Super Bowl interview, Trump offered that "he can’t do it, because he can’t talk, he can’t do anything, he's ruining our country." Trump even predicted "I don't think he's going to run" when speaking about Biden.
"I’d like to call for, immediately, debates. I’d like to debate him now, because we should debate," Trump went on to say. "We should debate for the good of the country. So, I will officially, on your show, call for" debates, Trump said. "So we can talk about these problems, Dan, and get him to change his ways. But I am officially doing that."
Trump still has to formally win the nomination to once more debate Biden. His remaining primary opponent, former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, was quick to seize on Trump's remarks about debates, especially since she has been calling for him to debate her for some time now. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, when he was in the race, had also called on Trump to debate.
The Haley campaign clipped the radio segment and shared a press release on Monday, declaring "BREAKING: Donald Trump Agrees With Nikki Haley: 'Must Debate for the Good of the Country,'" highlighting Trump's remarks about Biden and using them against him for his own refusal to debate. There was even more where that came from, as the Haley campaign on Tuesday morning announced that a chicken mascot would be accompanying Haley on the campaign trail, holding a sign declaring "Trump too chicken to debate." The announcement was made in a pun-filled press release asking "Why is Donald Trump Too Chicken to Debate?"
As part of the announcement, the campaign also unveiled the maketrumpdebate.com website.
We’ve got a new friend joining us on the campaign trail, and he’s got one question for Donald Trump: why is he too chicken to debate Nikki Haley? https://t.co/KRLCm8CJ7W pic.twitter.com/IGQ40AKtRN
— Team Haley (@TeamHaley) February 6, 2024
But again, we may be in a new age of politics with Trump. Andrew Loposser, the president of APL Political Consulting, a Northern Virgina-based consulting firm weighed in on how this matters in the primary, specifically if it even makes sense for candidates to debate.
Loposser offered that "what we're seeing from Nikki Haley's campaign is just a bit of political theater. They're trying to stir the pot by calling Trump out for not debating, but let's be real — this is a non-issue they're trying to blow up into something bigger. Trump will be the nominee for the Republican Party; it doesn't make sense from a strategy perspective to give Haley the time of day, much less a debate stage."
He did note that "I get it from Haley's end," adding "when you're as far behind as she is, you throw whatever you can at the frontrunner and see what sticks." He acknowledged "it's politics — make some noise and hope it shakes things up. But in the grand scheme of things, it's just grasping at straws."
Debates may indeed serve some kind of purpose. Late last year, when he was still running for president, DeSantis participated in the "The Great Red State vs. Blue State Debate" against California's Gov. Gavin Newsom on Fox News, where he had some particularly viral moments. Perhaps that was even a preview for the 2028 presidential election.
Trump's refusal to debate could also work against him if Biden also refuses to debate. As Guy wondered last August, "As Trump Skips GOP Debates, What If Biden Refuses to Debate Him Next Fall?"
We don't quite know if Biden will debate, though, given his remarks to reporters on Monday in Las Vegas. "Well, I--if I were him, I’d want to debate me too. He’s got nothing else to do," Biden said, chuckling at the question.
Nick Arama, in highlighting the exchange for our sister site of RedState, noted "I don't think he quite got the irony and hilarity of what he said," especially as Biden himself often doesn't have anything to do and behaves like the 81-year-old that he is.
Reporter: “Donald Trump says he’s ready to debate you right now. Do you accept?”
— The Recount (@therecount) February 5, 2024
Reporter: “He wants to debate you ‘immediately.’”
President Biden: “If I were him, I’d want him to debate me, too. He’s got nothing else to do.” pic.twitter.com/rz5CPdDzJH
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