“It’s time for a fight!”: Joe Biden and Donald Trump will face off on June 27 for the first debate of a particularly tense American presidential campaign.
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Earlier in the morning, the American president had challenged his predecessor to confront him in June and then at the beginning of September.
“Today he says he wants to debate me again. In that case, humor me, dude. I will even do it twice,” launched the 81-year-old Democrat, candidate in November for a second term, in an offensive video message.
His 77-year-old Republican opponent, who had long been calling for a televised duel, immediately took up the gauntlet: “I am ready and decided to debate against “Joe the crook” on the two dates proposed in June and September.”
CNN will host and broadcast the debate, which will take place in Atlanta, Georgia, at 9 p.m. local time. The channel specified that the exchange would take place without an audience, a formula that Joe Biden prefers.
“Bad debater”
“Tell me when, I’ll be there.” Here we go for a fight!!!,” wrote the Republican in a message in his Truth Social network, believing that his Democratic opponent was the “worst debater” he had ever met.
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“I strongly suggest having more than two debates,” said the Republican billionaire, judging that the debate, “to make it more exciting,” should be held in “a very large room, even if it seems that Biden is afraid of crowds.
Donald Trump’s campaign team proposed in a press release to double the stakes by organizing four debates: in June, July, August and September.
The presidential debates, which are always highlights of an American campaign, will be particularly anticipated this year, such is the hostility between the two men.
These duels will also be a test of the vivacity and intellectual endurance of the candidates, the oldest to have never run for the White House. Republicans continue to attack Joe Biden over his moments of confusion and his gaffes, while Democrats denounce Donald Trump’s sometimes totally incoherent outings.
In his video message, the Democrat was frankly mocking: “Let’s choose the dates, Donald. I heard you were free on Wednesday.
“Not entertainment”
The American president is referring here to the only weekly day off in the trial against his predecessor. Donald Trump, multiple criminal defendants, is required to appear in New York for the rest of the week for a case of concealed payments to a former porn actress. The trial should, however, end before June 27, which is a THURSDAY.
Joe Biden’s campaign team sent a letter to the commission which usually organizes electoral debates. It is explained that its candidate would not comply with either the timetable or the conditions established by this organization, which had already set three dates (September 16, 1er October and October 9).
The Biden camp mainly argues that the first debate should take place earlier, to take into account Americans voting early.
“The debate must be held for the benefit of the Americans who follow it on television, not in the form of entertainment in front of an audience of agitated or disruptive supporters and donors,” wrote the president of Joe’s campaign. Biden, Jen O’Malley Dillon, in this letter.
The CNN channel also explained in a press release that, to participate in the debate, candidates must be registered in a sufficient number of states and reach at least 15% of voting intentions in four separate national polls, between March 13 and on June 20.
This threshold, barring any huge surprises, should exclude any candidate other than Joe Biden and Donald Trump.
