Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump is pushing for more debates with President Joe Biden in the 2024 election cycle. Trump’s campaign, in a letter to the Commission on Presidential Debates, is requesting additional debates and an earlier schedule for them. This move comes after Trump declined to debate his primary challengers and has since been actively challenging Biden to debates at any time and place.
Trump’s top advisers, Susie Wiles, and Chris LaCivita, argue that moving up the timetable for debates would give more Americans the opportunity to see the candidates before voting begins. They also advocate for adding more debates to the traditional three organized by the commission. This request aligns with major TV networks’ efforts to ensure debates between Trump and Biden occur.
While Biden has not committed to debating Trump, he hasn’t ruled it out either, citing concerns about Trump’s behavior on stage. Some of Biden’s advisers are wary of giving Trump a platform and potentially elevating him by sharing the debate stage with the Democratic incumbent.
Trump and Biden (Credits: CNN)
A recent Reuters/Ipsos poll shows Biden leading Trump among registered voters, with 41% support compared to Trump’s 37%. Despite this, Trump’s campaign is adamant about the need for more debates, possibly to gain momentum and sway undecided voters.
The Republican National Committee’s decision two years ago to withdraw from the commission’s debates, driven by Trump’s dissatisfaction with various aspects of the debates, underscores the contentious history surrounding these events. Trump’s campaign advisers criticized the selection of moderators and alleged bias against Trump in the 2020 debates.
The Commission on Presidential Debates has yet to respond to Trump’s campaign letter, leaving the debate schedule and format for the 2024 election cycle uncertain. However, Trump’s insistence on more debates indicates his eagerness to engage directly with Biden and potentially reshape the dynamics of the presidential race.
