‘Rumble’ is set
President Biden and former President Donald Trump tentatively agreed Wednesday to face off in two debates months before the Nov. 5 election, upending the traditional campaign calendar.
CNN announced that the rivals will meet at 9 p.m. Thursday, June 27, at its Atlanta headquarters. There will be no live audience, in accordance with the Biden campaign’s request, and moderators will be announced at a later date.
Later Wednesday, Biden and Trump said they had accepted an offer from ABC News to hold a debate on Tuesday, Sept. 10.
The agreement between the two camps cuts out the nonpartisan Commission on Presidential Debates, which has organized the head-to-head events since the 1988 election cycle.
Major-party nominees have squared off in debates every four years since 1976, but have never met earlier than September, after the national political conventions and when most Americans are home from their summer vacations.
Biden, 81, fired the first shot at 8 a.m. sharp, posting on his personal X account: “Donald Trump lost two debates to me in 2020, and now he wants to debate me again.”
“Well, make my day, pal,” he added. Biden then added in a separate X post that he had “received and accepted” the CNN debate invite, teasing: “Over to you, Donald. As you said: anywhere, any time, any place.”
Trump responded that he would accept Biden’s challenge, telling Fox News “I’ll be there” and saying he was “looking forward to being in beautiful Atlanta.” He added on Truth Social, quoting legendary boxing announcer Michael Buffer: “Let’s get ready to Rumble!!!”
The debates will exclude independent Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and other third-party candidates.