Former President Donald Trump claimed he is prepared to debate President Joe Biden in the lead-up to the general election in November.
Trump posted on his social media site Truth Social, stating that “[i]t is important, for the Good of our Country, that Joe Biden and I Debate Issues that are so vital to America, and the American People.”
“Therefore, I am calling for Debates, ANYTIME, ANYWHERE, ANYPLACE! The Debates can be run by the Corrupt DNC, or their Subsidiary, the Commission on Presidential Debates (CPD). I look forward to receiving a response,” he added.
Michael Tyler, Biden’s campaign communications director, responded to Trump’s call for a debate, stating in a response sent to Fox News that “Donald Trump’s thirsty for attention and struggling to expand his appeal beyond the MAGA base — and that’s a conversation we’ll have at the appropriate time in this cycle.”
Tyler continued by saying that the former president was “desperate” to watch Biden and would have the opportunity to “join the tens of millions of Americans who will tune in to watch the State of the Union.”
“He might even learn a thing or two about bringing people together and actually delivering for the American people,” said Tyler, per Fox News.
Trump has already indicated that he plans to watch Biden’s speech on Thursday night, claiming in another Truth Social post that he “will be doing a LIVE, Play by Play, of Crooked Joe Biden’s State of the Union Address.”
“I will correct, in rapid response, any and all inaccurate Statements, especially pertaining to the Border and his Weaponization of the DOJ, FBI, A.G.s, and District Attorneys, to go after his Political Opponent, ME (something never done before in this Country!),” wrote the former president.
“We did this once before to tremendous success — Beating All Records. It is important for the Country to get the TRUTH!” he added.
Trump previously opted to skip the Republican presidential debates, claiming that other candidates “ought to stop wasting their time” by participating, as previously reported by The Dallas Express.
This decision produced mixed reviews from those within the Republican Party, with some claiming that the former president should have participated in the debates.
“Yes, he should. I think all of our Republican candidates need to express their views on the topics that are really important not just to Iowans but to all Americans,” said Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA), as previously reported by The Dallas Express.
On the other hand, Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) offered a different opinion, saying the decision should be up to each individual candidate.
“I have no opinion. He’s going to make whatever decision he thinks is best for his campaign,” he explained, per DX.