Joe Biden and Donald Trump agreed Wednesday to hold a presidential debate in June after the current president of the US proposed a “Make my day” challenge.
The controversial Republican Trump was quick to reply that he was ready to rumble.
CNN announced it will hold the first debate on June 27 in Atlanta, Georgia. Biden proposed a second debate for September and Trump accepted.
Biden, 81, had set out his own terms for the debates with political showman Trump, such as time limits for speakers and having no live audience. CNN agreed to the conditions.
In his first formal debate offer after months of stalling, the Democrat also shunned the traditional calendar proposed by the commission that has run debates since 1988 as he sought to exercise control over the format.
Although Trump accepted the dates, he reiterated that the current President was afraid of crowds.
“Donald Trump lost two debates to me in 2020. Since then, he hasn’t shown up for a debate. Now he’s acting like he wants to debate me again. Well, make my day, pal,” Biden said in a video on X.
“I’ll even do it twice.”
CNN said in a statement that the debate would be held at its studios in Atlanta in the “crucial battleground state of Georgia.”
“To ensure candidates may maximise the time allotted in the debate, no audience will be present. Moderators for the debate and additional details will be announced at a later date,” it said.
After Biden’s challenge, Trump — who avoided any debates with his rivals for the Republican presidential nomination this year — said he was “ready to Rumble!!!”
He described Biden as the “WORST debater I have ever faced” and added, “I would strongly recommend more than two debates and, for excitement purposes, a very large venue, although Biden is supposedly afraid of crowds.”
