Donald Trump Challenges Joe Biden to Courthouse Debate

Former President Donald Trump offered a few suggestions after President Joe Biden revealed that he is "happy to debate him" ahead of their expected November rematch for the White House.

Biden said that he would debate Trump during an interview with Howard Stern on Friday, while adding that he did not know when or where the debate would take place. Trump responded in a Truth Social post a short time later, saying that he would debate Biden "ANYWHERE, ANYTIME, ANYPLACE."

Trump then proposed specifically debating Biden "Monday Evening, Tuesday Evening, or Wednesday Evening at my Rally in Michigan," before offering to debate the president "tonight - on National Television" at the New York City courthouse where he is facing felony charges of falsifying business records.

The Context

Trump, who refused to debate any of his 2024 Republican presidential primary opponents, has repeatedly called for Biden to debate him since it became clear that they were on an election collision course while claiming that Biden "can't put two sentences together."

Additionally, the former president claims that all of his legal troubles—he has pleaded not guilty to 88 felony charges across four different criminal cases and recently lost multiple civil lawsuits—have been orchestrated by Biden as "election interference."

Biden's interview with Stern on Friday was the first time that he has said he would "be happy to debate" the former president, with some of his advisers having argued against debates over concerns that they could "elevate Trump," according to Reuters.

The president said last month that his decision to debate would depend on Trump's behavior while suggesting in February that Trump was only eager to debate because "he's got nothing to do."

What We Know

Trump wrote in his Truth Social post on Friday that Biden had "just announced that he's willing to debate" but added that "everyone knows he doesn't really mean it." He went on to propose when and where a debate could take place.

"In case he does [mean it], I say, ANYWHERE, ANYTIME, ANYPLACE, an old expression used by Fighters," Trump wrote. "I suggest Monday Evening, Tuesday Evening, or Wednesday Evening at my Rally in Michigan, a State that he is in the process of destroying with his E.V. Mandate."

"In the alternative, he's in New York City today, although probably doesn't know it, and so am I, stuck in one of the many Court cases that he instigated as ELECTION INTERFERENCE AGAINST A POLITICAL OPPONENT," he continued. "Let's do the Debate at the Courthouse tonight - on National Television, I'll wait around!"

Views

Newsweek reached out for comment to the Biden campaign via email on Friday.

After Trump skipped the first GOP presidential debate last year, Democratic strategist Doug Gordon argued in a Newsweek opinion article that Biden should give the ex-president the same treatment.

"Former President Donald Trump and his team reportedly view fall 2024 debates with President Biden as 'the key to winning,' " Gordon wrote. "Without question, Biden should deny Trump this opportunity."

"Trump wants to use the debates to amplify his lies, distract from his legal troubles, and stoke chaos," he continued. "Why would Biden give him that opportunity?"

What's Next

While Trump has offered to debate Biden anywhere at any time, an actual meeting between the two candidates is unlikely to be that simple. Debates typically come with a set of rules that both participants must agree to before taking part.

Presidential debates traditionally take place with three events in the fall, organized by the nonpartisan Commission on Presidential Debates. A dozen U.S. news organizations urged Biden and Trump "to publicly commit to participating in general election debates before November's election" in a statement earlier this month.

Around the same time, the Trump campaign urged the debate commission to speed up the schedule and add additional debates beyond the standard three. The Biden campaign reportedly has concerns about whether Trump will follow debate rules if and when the events take place.