Biden Campaign Rejects Debate Terms, Wants Early Studio Showdown with Trump

President Biden is prepared to engage in a debate with former President Donald J. Trump on two occasions before the election, with the possibility of it taking place as early as June, according to a letter retrieved by The New York Times. However, his campaign is refusing the nonpartisan organization that has overseen presidential debates since 1988.

The letter from the Biden campaign delineates the conditions for granting Mr. Trump’s request for a televised confrontation. The debates are sought to commence earlier than proposed by the Commission on Presidential Debates, enabling voters to witness both candidates alongside each other well before early voting commences in September. The debate is proposed to take place within a TV studio, incorporating microphones that automatically switch off when a speaker’s allotted time elapses. Furthermore, the debate is intended to solely involve the two candidates and the moderator, excluding raucous in-person audiences that Mr. Trump thrives on, and independent or third-party candidates such as Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

Strategic Risks

This proposal indicates President Biden's willingness to take strategic risks to alter his prospects in a race where most polls in battleground states depict him trailing behind Mr. Trump. The President is grappling to convince voters of his effectiveness as a leader and steward of the economy.