Biden, Asked if He’s Planning to Debate Trump, Says ‘I Am’
The president’s announcement came after months in which he and his campaign declined to say whether he would debate his predecessor.
President Biden said on Friday that he would participate in a general-election debate with former President Donald J. Trump, a striking shift after months in which he and his campaign declined to commit to appearing onstage with his Republican rival.
Mr. Biden’s announcement, made in response to a question from the radio host Howard Stern, comes after pressure from television networks and Mr. Trump’s campaign for the president to agree to participate in debates.
When Mr. Stern asked Mr. Biden if he would debate Mr. Trump, the president replied: “I am, somewhere, I don’t know when, but I am happy to debate him.”
Mr. Biden’s remarks appeared to be off the cuff, rather than a planned announcement of a shift in his campaign’s strategy, according to a top Democratic official familiar with its thinking. The Biden campaign directed questions on Friday about whether its stance on debates had changed to Mr. Biden’s comments on the Stern program.
Mr. Trump, who was spending Friday in court in Manhattan during his criminal trial, responded hours later, writing on his social media site: “Crooked Joe Biden just announced that he’s willing to debate! Everyone knows he doesn’t really mean it, but in case he does, I say, ANYWHERE, ANYTIME, ANYPLACE, an old expression used by Fighters.”
Mr. Trump went on to propose debating as early as next week, or even “at the Courthouse tonight - on National Television, I’ll wait around!”
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