Published January 8, 2024
Democratic lawmakers are leery about the prospect of President Biden debating former President Trump, fearing that putting the two on stage together would only elevate the likely GOP nominee.
Trump has skipped every Republican presidential primary debate thus far but says he’s eager to debate Biden.
He told conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt before Christmas that he would “look forward” to facing Biden and suggested 10 debates.
Democratic lawmakers, however, are not relishing that scenario.
“I would think twice about it,” said Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (Ill.) about the prospect of Biden debating Trump.
“I’ve been physically present at one of [Trump’s] debates with Hillary Clinton, and I watched him do outrageous things and say outrageous things. It’s just an opportunity for him to display his extremism.”
Democratic lawmakers talk publicly about Biden running on his record of accomplishment.
But privately they concede they are counting on Trump collapsing under the weight of more than 90 felony charges and his penchant for conflict and outlandish claims turning off women and swing voters.
At the same time, they acknowledge that voters’ perception of Biden’s age — he’s 81 years old — is his biggest political liability.
While Democrats think Biden won his two debates with Trump in 2020, he would be four years older if he faced Trump on stage again. Trump turned 77 in June.
Some Democrats worry that Trump’s image is so bad that if he merely surpasses low expectations on a debate stage with Biden, it could be as helpful as winning a debate outright.
That’s what happened in the 2000 presidential campaign when former President George W. Bush exceeded expectations in his first debate against then-Vice President Al Gore.
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SOURCE: www.thehill.com
RELATED: 2024 Presidential Election Debate Schedule: Dates, Times, Who’ll Be There And Who Won’t
Donald Trump and Joe Biden met twice on the debate stage during the 2020 presidential election
Published January 5, 2024
Media-wise, the 2024 Presidential election crosses the official starting line with debate season, and this cycle the contenders on the Republican side, including a multiple-indicted former POTUS, are looking to beat Democrat Joe Biden and take over the White House. But first they have to take on each other.
For the candidates, debates are a way to score points against a rival, stand out from the field or define a campaign that’s heretofore been rudderless.
Frontrunner Trump has opted out of all the debates so far. In August, he instead decided to hold forth with Tucker Carlson in a more friendly pre-taped interview. That debate drew 12.8 million viewers on Fox News. He also did not participate in the September 27 debate in Simi Valley, CA, which drew 9.5 million viewers across Fox Business and Univision and simulcast on Fox News.
The third debate November 8 in Miami drew an average of 7.51 million viewers across NBS and its streaming and digital platforms.
Below is the official schedule of dates, times, locations and participants involved in the primary debates. Check back as more are announced, including as general election debates are added, ahead of the November 2024 elections.
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SOURCE: www.deadline.com
RELATED: Trump says he’s eager to debate Biden in 2024, even if controversial commission plans events
Published December 23, 2023
NEW YORK (AP) — Former President Donald Trump says he is eager to debate President Joe Biden, even if the debates are sponsored by the nonpartisan Commission on Presidential Debates. And he says he is open to debating a single Republican rival if a serious challenger emerges after the New Hampshire primary.
Trump, who has skipped all of the primary debates so far citing his commanding lead in the polls, was asked if he will debate Biden if named his party’s nominee during an interview with conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt Friday.
“Oh will I look forward to that,” Trump responded. “How about 10 debates?”
That’s even, he said, if the debates are sponsored by the Commission on Presidential Debates, which he and fellow Republicans have railed against for years.
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SOURCE: www.apnews.com
