Former President Donald Trump has reignited the debate surrounding presidential debates by calling for them to start immediately.
In an appearance on the Dan Bongino Show on Monday, Trump declared that he was "officially" calling for presidential debates to take place sooner rather than later. His challenger, current President Joe Biden, laughed off Trump's challenge, stating that the former President "should want to debate me because he's got nothing else to do."
Biden, who had just wrapped up a two-state trip to California and Nevada, made his remarks while stopping at a boba tea shop in Las Vegas. Trump's latest comments come as he is still engaged in a Republican primary race against his rival Nikki Haley, who has been repeatedly calling for Trump to face her on the debate stage.
Haley, a former U.N. ambassador and a potential 2024 hopeful, has been actively campaigning for debates with Trump and even launched a website called www.MakeTrumpDebate.com for supporters to sign a petition. Her campaign spokesperson, Olivia Perez-Cuba, released a statement saying, "We're thrilled to see that Donald Trump has finally acknowledged the importance of debates. Now it's time for Trump to man up and agree to debate Nikki Haley."
Currently, the dates for general election debates have been set for the fall after both parties hold their nominating conventions over the summer. However, these dates might not stick as the Republican National Committee (RNC) has voted to withdraw from the Commission on Presidential Debates, accusing the group of having partisan leanings. RNC Chairwoman Ronna Romney McDaniel blasted the organization for refusing to enact "simple and commonsense reforms."
The first general election debate has been planned for September 16 at Texas State University in San Marcos, Texas. The second is scheduled for October 1 at Virginia State University in Petersburg, Virginia, and a third is expected to take place on October 9 at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City, Utah. However, with the RNC's withdrawal, it is uncertain if these dates will be upheld.
In the 2020 general election, the second planned debate was canceled after the Commission on Presidential Debates called for it to be held virtually as Trump recovered from a case of COVID-19. Trump, who almost died from the disease, refused to participate in a virtual debate and ultimately only participated in one of the three scheduled debates.
The first debate, which took place in Cleveland, was moderated by Chris Wallace of Fox News Sunday. Wallace faced criticism for not being able to control Trump as he often interrupted and talked over Biden. However, even during that debate, Trump complained about his treatment, accusing Wallace of being biased against him. The second planned debate was supposed to be moderated by Steve Scully, but that debate was ultimately canceled.
Despite the uncertainty surrounding the general election debates and Trump's call for immediate debates, it is unlikely that any will take place before the scheduled fall debates. It remains to be seen if Trump will agree to participate in any of the scheduled debates or if the RNC's withdrawal from the Commission on Presidential Debates will affect the planning process.
With the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and the political landscape constantly evolving, it is possible that the general election debates could face further changes or cancellations. As for now, the American public will have to wait until the fall to see the candidates face off on the debate stage.