A recent report from AP News on December 22, 2023, former President Donald Trump boldly declared his eagerness to go head-to-head with President Joe Biden in 2024. Trump, who has steered clear of primary debates, expressed his willingness to participate, even if organized by the controversial Commission on Presidential Debates (CPD).
During an interview with conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt, Trump, citing his lead in the polls, announced his readiness to debate a single Republican opponent emerging after the New Hampshire primary.
Trump, not one to hold back, referred to Biden as a disaster and the worst president in history. Proposing an ambitious idea, he suggested, How about 10 debates? I’d do a debate every night with this guy.
Despite longstanding criticism of the CPD for bias and corruption, Trump stated he wouldn’t mind if they organized the debates, expressing his readiness for up to 20 debates. The Republican National Committee (RNC), disapproving of the CPD, unanimously voted in April 2022 to withdraw from their events. However, Trump, who never signed the RNC pledge, remains undeterred.
Biden’s campaign has not confirmed participation in the 2024 general election debates. Quentin Fulks, Biden’s top deputy campaign manager, emphasized their current focus on building a competitive campaign and infrastructure.
While Trump skipped GOP primary debates, he consistently emphasized the necessity of a general election debate. The CPD has scheduled three presidential debates in college towns and one vice presidential debate for 2024. Notably, Trump, during his presidency, accused the CPD of unfair treatment, culminating in his refusal to participate in the second 2020 debate, held virtually due to the pandemic. National Democrats also expressed frustration with the CPD in 2020, alleging lax enforcement of rules concerning Trump.
