President Biden and former President Donald Trump have both agreed to participate in two upcoming presidential debates, with one hosted by CNN on June 27 and the other by ABC News on Sept. 10. The debates were arranged quickly after the Biden campaign expressed interest in debating twice before the November election.
Mr. Biden issued a challenge to Trump on social media to join him in the debate hosted by CNN on June 27. The criteria set by CNN for qualifying for the debate included being constitutionally eligible to serve as president, filing a statement of candidacy with the FEC, and attaining at least 15% in four national polls. So far, Mr. Biden and Trump are the only candidates who meet these requirements.
Former President Trump has also accepted an invitation to the debate hosted by ABC News on Sept. 10 and has advocated for more debates to be held in July and August. However, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. criticized the two candidates for excluding him from the debates, stating that it undermines democracy.
Mr. Biden’s campaign has proposed one debate in June and one in September, while Trump’s campaign is pushing for additional debates from June to September. Mr. Biden’s campaign specified that he will only participate in debates hosted by news organizations and not sponsored by the Commission on Presidential Debates.
To prepare for the debates, Ron Klain, former White House chief of staff, will assist Mr. Biden, while Trump’s campaign plans to announce a vice presidential pick closer to the Republican National Convention. The upcoming debates are sure to be highly anticipated events leading up to the November election.
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