In a recent interview with conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt, former President Donald Trump declared his eagerness to engage in debates with President Joe Biden in the 2024 election, expressing a willingness to participate even if sponsored by the controversial nonpartisan Commission on Presidential Debates. Trump, who has abstained from primary debates, articulated his openness to facing a single Republican contender post-New Hampshire primary if a formidable challenger emerges.
During the interview, when asked about debating Biden if named the GOP nominee, Trump responded enthusiastically, “Oh, will I look forward to that. How about 10 debates?” He emphasized his willingness to participate in debates organized by the Commission on Presidential Debates, an entity he and fellow Republicans have criticized for alleged bias over the years.
“They are totally corrupt and they’re terrible. With that being said, I would do 20 debates, even if it was organized by them. I would do as many debates as they want,” Trump asserted. “I’d do a debate every night with this guy.”
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Despite the Republican National Committee’s unanimous decision in April 2022 to withdraw from the commission’s events, citing bias, and requiring candidates to pledge participation only in RNC-sanctioned debates, Trump never signed the pledge.
In the interview, Trump also expressed a willingness to engage in a Republican primary debate if the competition narrows down to him and a single rival post-New Hampshire primary. While public polls currently indicate Trump’s significant leads in early-voting states, former South Carolina governor Nikki Haley has been gaining ground, particularly in New Hampshire.
“Yeah, I would, if it was very close, I would debate that Republican,” Trump affirmed, though he claimed to be “not worried” about Haley, who also served as the ambassador to the United Nations during the Trump administration.
Biden’s campaign has yet to commit to general election debates in 2024. Quentin Fulks, Biden’s top deputy campaign manager, stated earlier this month that the campaign would “look at the schedule” released by the Commission on Presidential Debates in November. He added, “right now” their “focus is on making sure we continue to build out a campaign and infrastructure that’s going to be able to be competitive in 2024.”
Trump has skipped all GOP primary debates, asserting that a general election campaign would necessitate debates. The Commission on Presidential Debates has scheduled three presidential debates in college towns in Texas, Virginia, and Utah between Sept. 16 and Oct. 9, 2024, along with one vice-presidential debate in Pennsylvania.
As president, Trump accused the commission of unfair treatment and declined to participate in the second 2020 debate when it was decided to be held virtually due to the coronavirus pandemic. Biden’s campaign, the commission, and the RNC have not immediately responded to requests for comment on Trump’s remarks.
