Joe Biden said he will debate presumptive GOP nominee Donald Trump.
Trump has been calling for debates for weeks, as have a dozen major media outlets, but the Biden campaign to date has been cagey about committing to them.
Biden appeared to end that speculation during a Friday morning interview with Howard Stern.
“I am, somewhere. I don’t know when,” the president said. “I’m happy to debate him.”
Stern, a longtime New York City radio host, brought up debates as an aside, saying Biden should blast Trump for trying to overturn the 2020 election if the two meet up onstage.
Biden then cut in, saying he would engage in a debate.
Since 1976, presidential elections have featured three televised debates. Biden and Trump did two in 2020, with one canceled in the wake of Trump contracting COVID-19. Trump has repeatedly agitated for debates this fall.
“I don’t know what he’s using, but that was not, hey, he was higher than a kite,” Trump told radio host Hugh Hewitt earlier this month, accusing Biden of taking drugs to sharpen his debate skills four years ago. Trump then added that debates with Biden “should be drug tested. I want a drug test.”
Trump campaign adviser Chris LaCivita responded to the Biden announcement by tweeting, “Ok let’s set it up!”
Biden wants to debate Trump. HA, HA! pic.twitter.com/DOg6sROoSY
— Sammy (@Sammy28628956) April 26, 2024