Biden and Trump debates could feature entirely new format. What are the conditions?

President Joe Biden extended a formal offer to debate former President Donald Trump twice before the November election — though the overture came with a handful of conditions.

Trump quickly agreed to the debates, writing in a post on Truth Social, “Just tell me when, I’ll be there.” But, he strongly pushed back against two of Biden’s conditions.

What are Biden’s conditions?

In a May 14 letter addressed to the Commission on Presidential Debates, the non-partisan organization that typically organizes the debates, Biden’s campaign staff announced he will not participate in the commission’s scheduled debates.

The campaign outlined three reasons why Biden will not take part in the commission’s debates: They are too late in the election cycle; they have live audiences that serve as a distraction; and past debates have not enforced the commission’s rules.

Instead, Biden’s campaign signaled the president’s willingness to take part in two separate debates hosted by news organizations.

These debates, the campaign said, should be held in late June — when Trump’s “hush money” criminal trial is likely to conclude — and in early September.

The campaign said they should be hosted by a news organization that held primary debates in which both Biden and Trump have participated. This way “neither campaign can assert that the sponsoring organization is obviously unacceptable.”

Additionally, the letter stipulated that the debates should be moderated by a nonpartisan anchor, and that strict limits should be placed on the length of answers. Microphones should also only be turned on when it is a candidate’s time to speak.

Further, the campaign added that the debates should not feature third-party candidates so as not to squander “time on candidates with no prospect of becoming President.”

This stipulation appeared aimed at Robert F. Kennedy Jr., an independent candidate for president, who has polled in the double digits in recent months.

“They are trying to exclude me from their debate because they are afraid I would win,” Kennedy wrote in a post on X, formerly Twitter, following Biden and Trump’s agreement to debate. “Keeping viable candidates off the debate stage undermines democracy.”

The Biden campaign also stated that a single vice presidential debate should be held in July, following the “same basic parameters” of the presidential debates.

In addition to the letter, Biden posted a video on X on May 15, challenging Trump to debate.

“Donald Trump lost two debates to me in 2020, and since then he hasn’t shown up for a debate,” Biden said in the video. “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.”

Biden’s comments appeared to be referring to Trump’s criminal trial in New York, which typically does not have proceedings on Wednesdays, according to Politico.

What was Trump’s response?

“Crooked Joe Biden is the WORST debater I have ever faced — He can’t put two sentences together!” Trump wrote in a May 15 post on Truth Social, adding, “I am Ready and Willing to Debate Crooked Joe at the two proposed times in June and September.”

However, he pushed back against two of Biden’s conditions.

Trump said he would “strongly recommend” that the two men participate in more than two debates.

He added that he would prefer a sizable live audience for the debates “for excitement purposes.”

Hours after the post was made, CNN reported that Trump agreed to a June 27 debate hosted by the network.

The Trump campaign also published a May 15 letter responding to the Biden campaign, stating that in addition to the June CNN debate, it has accepted Biden’s proposed September debate.

The Trump campaign also suggested a total of four presidential debates to be held in June, July, August and September.

“Additional dates will allow voters to have maximum exposure to the records and future visions of each candidate,” the letter said.

When asked about the debates in a May 15 interview with conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt, Trump said, “I wonder whether or not (Biden) shows up, because you know, he also challenged me to golf. So I’m a very good golfer. He can’t hit a ball 50 yards.”

This story was originally published May 15, 2024 at 2:27 PM with the headline "Biden and Trump debates could feature entirely new format. What are the conditions?."