Former President Donald Trump and President Biden agreed to two debates to be held in June and September.
The debates will take place on June 27th, 2024 on CNN and September 10th, 2024 on ABC. The CNN debate will occur before both the Democrat and Republican national nominating conventions.
In a move widely believed meant to minimize distractions to Biden, his campaign has insisted that the debates happen inside a TV studio with no audience and with microphones that automatically cut off when a candidate’s time for a response is up.
Biden then released a heavily edited video full of bravado, “Donald Trump lost two debates to me in 2020, and since then, he hasn't shown up for a debate. Now he's acting like he wants to debate me again. 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."
Trump responded by saying President Biden was, “WORST debater I have ever faced - He can’t put two sentences together!”
“I am more than willing to debate Crooked Joe at the two proposed times in June and September. I would strongly recommend more than two debates and for excitement purposes, a very large venue, although Biden is supposedly afraid of crowds”, Trump posted on X. “That’s only because he doesn’t get them. Just tell me when, I’ll be there. Let’s get ready to Rumble!!!."
Trump has also requested two additional debates in July and August. Biden has not yet responded to this request.
CNN criteria for participation would disqualify Independent Party Candidate Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., both on the number of state ballots and polling percentage. CNN criteria require each candidate: Be constitutionally eligible to serve as president; File a statement of candidacy with the Federal Election Commission; Have their name appear on enough state ballots to reach the threshold of 270 electoral votes needed to win the presidency; Agree to the debate's rules and format; and Receive at least 15% in four separate national polls of registered or likely voters that meet CNN standards.
Kennedy responded on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, by saying, “Presidents Trump and Biden are colluding to lock America into a head-to-head match-up that 70% say they do not want. They are trying to exclude me from their debate because they are afraid I would win. Keeping viable candidates off the debate stage undermines democracy”.
Bypassing the Commission on Presidential Debates, a non-partisan group that has had more than 30 presidential and vice-presidential debates since 1988, Biden said he would only participate in debates held by news organizations. Both candidates have expressed issues with both the format and timing of the Commission’s debates.