The presidential candidate has said he is willing to go head to head with the incumbent as times as can be organized
Republican Presidential candidate and former US President Donald Trump during a campaign rally in Reno, Nevada on December 17, 2023 © Getty Images / Justin Sullivan
Former US President Donald Trump said on Friday that he would be willing to debate current President Joe Biden multiple times if they both become the nominee of their respective parties.
During an interview with radio host Hugh Hewitt, Trump responded to a question about whether he would face Biden if the opportunity arose.
“Oh, I look forward to that. How about 10 debates? How about 10,” Trump said. He also argued that the Commission on Presidential Debates (CPD), which is responsible for organizing the events, is “totally corrupt” and “Democrat-leaning.”
Referring to a showdown between him and Biden that was scheduled for October 2020 and canceled by the CPD, Trump affirmed that he would “do 20 debates even if it was organized by them.”
“I’ll do as many debates as they want. I’d do a debate every night with this guy. But he’ll never show up to a debate,” he added.
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In November, Trump announced that he would run for office again in 2024. He did so despite finding himself at the center of multiple lawsuits in recent months, four of which have resulted in indictments. In total, he faces 91 criminal charges. He has pleaded not guilty to all of them.
At a rally in New Hampshire last week, Trump referred to his court cases by quoting Russian President Vladimir Putin. The Republican said he had been subjected to “Biden’s politically motivated persecution,” which showed “the rottenness of the American political system, which cannot pretend to teach others about democracy.”
Biden announced in April that he would run for re-election. His campaign strategy memo for the 2024 race, shared by CNN on Thursday, declares he will focus on “the existential threat to democracy that Donald Trump represents.”
A Morning Consult and Bloomberg poll released last week showed Trump leading the incumbent in seven swing states: North Carolina, Georgia, Wisconsin, Nevada, Michigan, Arizona and Pennsylvania.
READ MORE: Trump holds dominant lead over Republican election rivals – poll
The 2024 US presidential election will be held on November 5. It will be preceded by nominating contests in each state beginning in January and ending in June.
