During a town hall moderated by Fox News’ Laura Ingraham Tuesday night, former President Donald Trump said he was ready to debate President Biden now.
“I’ll do it right now on your show. I’ll challenge him right now,” Trump said, suggesting an openness to various moderators, including those from CNN and other networks that are hostile toward him.
The former president, who has declined debates with Republican candidates for the 2024 primaries, seems to set his sights beyond his party’s nomination and straight onto a rematch with Biden. With the South Carolina GOP primary set for Feb. 24, Trump appears confident in his ability to secure the nomination and is gearing up for the anticipated national election face-off.
Trump remarked on the inevitability of debates in the election cycle, implying that the American people expect the final nominees of both major parties to participate. “When you have the final Republican, the final Democrat, you have the two people you have to debate regardless,” he said.
In response to Ingraham’s inquiry on how many debates Trump would commit to, he responded with a playful “as many as necessary.” However, he also cast doubt on whether Biden would accept such challenges.
President Biden, when previously asked about debating Trump, responded with levity, acknowledging Trump’s eagerness and downplaying the imperative of early commitments to debates.
While three presidential debates have already been scheduled for the 2024 cycle, their occurrence hinges on the candidates’ agreement to participate.
