Trump says he’ll debate Biden as many times as necessary: ‘We have an obligation’

Former President Trump said Tuesday he’s willing to hold as many debates as necessary with President Biden, saying there’s “an obligation” for the two to debate.

Trump, who has declined to participate in any Republican primary debates even as the field has narrowed to two candidates, said at a Fox News town hall with Laura Ingraham that he sees it as an obligation to attend general election debates.

“Frankly, I think we have an obligation. When you have the final Republican, the final Democrat, you have the two people, you have to debate regardless of polls,” Trump said.

Trump added he’d be willing to do “as many as necessary.”

“I would like to do it starting now,” Trump said. “I don’t think [Biden’s] going to debate though. I really don’t think so.”

There are three presidential debates scheduled for the 2024 cycle, beginning in September.

Trump has cited his significant polling lead to justify opting out of the primary debates, and he has not paid much of a price with Republican voters, easily winning the first three primary contests.

Some pundits have suggested Trump’s decision to skip the GOP primary debates could give Biden justification to opt out of the general election debates. A Biden campaign official in December said the president’s team “will have those conversations” about debates in the future.

The former president’s willingness to debate Biden comes as polls have shown Trump with a narrow lead in several key swing states. It marks a change of tune for Trump, who has long blasted the Commission on Presidential Debates as biased.

Trump has railed against the commission, pointing to a technical issue with his microphone during a 2016 debate, complaining about moderators and blasting a decision to cancel a debate with Biden in 2020 because of concerns about COVID-19.

The Republican National Committee signaled last year it would not have its eventual nominee participate in debates run by the commission.