Both President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump have agreed to participate in a debate hosted by CNN on June 27th. This early debate is anticipated to shape the direction of the 2024 campaign's final stages.
Biden confirmed his acceptance on X, stating, “I’ve received and accepted an invitation from @CNN for a debate on June 27th. Over to you, Donald. As you said: anywhere, any time, any place."
Trump later confirmed his participation, stating to CNN's Kaitlan Collins, "The answer is yes, I will accept."
The recent announcement marks the latest development in a rapidly intensifying exchange of challenges between the two political rivals. Initially, Biden's campaign urged Trump to engage in two presidential debates arranged by news outlets and formally notified the Commission on Presidential Debates that the president would not partake in its originally planned fall debates. In response, the former president promptly expressed readiness for earlier debates and assured radio host Hugh Hewitt that he would accept any moderator.
Biden recently expressed his willingness to debate Trump, although he did not firmly commit to a specific debate format. During an interview with radio host Howard Stern, he stated, "I'm happy to debate him." Subsequently, Biden's campaign outlined its proposed terms for the debate, including potential dates in June and September, through a social media video and a subsequent letter to the Commission on Presidential Debates.
The video of Biden speaking directly to a camera released Wednesday morning was a more direct challenge.
In a direct-to-camera video released on Wednesday, Biden asserted, “Donald Trump lost two debates to me in 2020. Since then he hasn’t shown up for a debate. Now he’s acting like he wants to debate me again.”
He continued, "Well, make my day, pal, I'll even do it twice. So let's pick the dates, Donald – I hear you're free on Wednesdays," referencing Trump's court schedule. The letter from Biden's campaign also acknowledged that the first debate would probably occur after Trump's criminal hush-money trial concludes.
On Wednesday, Trump took to Truth Social to accept the updated schedule: "I am Ready and Willing to Debate Crooked Joe at the two proposed times in June and September," he stated. Additionally, he expressed a strong recommendation for more than the two debates suggested. A senior adviser to Trump informed CNN that they are "ready to debate" Biden and are currently assessing the terms, eagerly anticipating an on-stage showdown.
Recent informal discussions between the Biden and Trump campaigns regarding debates have primarily centered around their shared dissatisfaction with the Commission on Presidential Debates and exploring potential alternatives to its involvement, according to three sources familiar with the matter who spoke to CNN. The Washington Post was the first to report on these conversations.
CNN's news release states that the debate will be conducted in the network's Atlanta studios without a live audience, marking a departure from the usual format of presidential debates. This setup is reminiscent of the first televised presidential debates between John F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon in 1960, which also occurred in television studios without a live audience. Subsequent debates, starting from the 1976 election, have typically featured live audiences instructed to refrain from making noise except at the beginning and end of the debate.
The announcement mentioned that details regarding moderators for the debate and other specifics will be provided at a later time.
This format aligns with the proposal put forth by the Biden campaign to the commission in its letter, which Trump countered in his Truth Social post. He expressed a preference for “for excitement purposes, a very large venue, although Biden is supposedly afraid of crowds.”
Trump added, "Just tell me when, I'll be there. Let's get ready to Rumble!!!"
