Trump, Biden reach deal on 2 debates in Wednesday whirlwind

President Biden and former President Trump quickly reached an agreement Wednesday on two presidential debates that will have the main party candidates in head-to-head confrontation on national television ahead of the national political conventions this summer.

Trump and Biden will meet in a June 27 debate to be hosted by CNN — a battle that is historically early in the general election calendar — and will meet onstage again Sept. 10 for an debate hosted by ABC.

The whirlwind few hours started with a campaign video from Biden in which he dared Trump to meet him for debates in June and September.

Before the morning was over, the former president had made it clear he was glad to accept the challenge, and the two debates had been scheduled.

The challenge from Biden came just days after a series of new polls conducted by The New York Times and Siena College showed him trailing Trump in most of the swing states likely to decide the election.

Biden trails Trump in Nevada, Georgia, Arizona, Pennsylvania and Michigan among registered voters in those states, providing more evidence he needs to move the needle in the presidential race.

In his Wednesday challenges, Biden signaled an eagerness to take Trump on, which would also allow the Biden campaign to put more of the focus on Trump.

“I’ve received and accepted an invitation from @CNN for a debate on June 27th. Over to you, Donald. As you said: anywhere, any time, any place,” Biden posted on the social platform X.

Trump, who has held a fairly consistent lead in national polls and swing states despite a series of legal battles, also signaled an eagerness to take on Biden in a debate.

“I am Ready and Willing to Debate Crooked Joe at the two proposed times in June and September,” Trump posted on Truth Social. “I would strongly recommend more than two debates and, for excitement purposes, a very large venue, although Biden is supposedly afraid of crowds – That’s only because he doesn’t get them. Just tell me when, I’ll be there. ‘Let’s get ready to Rumble!!!’”

Trump told Fox News Digital in a subsequent statement he had also accepted the invitation for the June 27 debate, telling the outlet he is “looking forward to being in beautiful Atlanta.”

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CNN said shortly after in a statement that it would host the debate without an audience at its Atlanta studios. It will be aired live on CNN, CNN International, CNN en Espanol and CNN.com and is set to be hosted by anchors Dana Bash and Jake Tapper.

The Biden campaign earlier Wednesday called for the first debate to take place in late June, after the president returns from the Group of Seven summit in Europe and after Trump’s hush money trial in New York will likely have concluded.

Trump’s hush money trial does not convene on Wednesdays, and both campaigns have sought to take advantage of those windows to make headlines.

Biden’s campaign suggested a second debate in September ahead of the start of early voting in many states, which the ABC event would meet, as well as a vice presidential debate in late July, after the Republican and Democratic national conventions.

The two campaigns in setting up the two debates spurned the Commission on Presidential Debates, which has facilitated the debates between presidential candidates since 1988.

In a statement, the commission said it would remain ready to execute its plans for three presidential debates and one vice presidential debate.

“The American public deserves substantive debates from the leading candidates for president and vice president,” the commission said.

“Our 2024 sites, all locations of higher learning, are prepared to host debates on dates chosen to accommodate early voters,” the group added. “We will continue to be ready to execute this plan.”

Biden campaign chair Jen O’Malley Dillon suggested working with outlets that hosted GOP primary debates in 2016 and Democratic primary debates in 2020 to avoid any perceptions of bias.

Trump has had a fractious history with CNN, blasting the network, its executives and its on-air talent as “fake news” throughout his first term in office. 

Trump attended a live town hall hosted by CNN and moderated by Kaitlan Collins, an event that drew backlash after Trump frequently spoke over Collins and repeated false claims about election fraud.

Biden recently granted a rare one-on-one interview with anchor CNN Erin Burnett, during which he said of Trump “I promise you he won’t” accept the result of the 2024 election if he loses. 

Wednesday’s announcement came as CNN’s parent company, Warner Bros. Discovery, was presenting to prospective advertisers Wednesday at the annual Upfront events in New York City. 

ABC News had planned to host a GOP primary debate in New Hampshire, but it was canceled after Trump and Nikki Haley said they would not attend. Martha Raddatz of ABC co-moderated one of the 2016 presidential debates; the network did not host a debate in 2020.

Officials with the Biden campaign and the Trump campaign had behind-the-scenes discussions in recent weeks about arranging debates and going around the commission. Those conversations were first reported by The Washington Post.

Trump’s campaign had in recent weeks urged the commission to schedule more debates and hold them earlier, citing the start of early voting in many states between the scheduled dates of the commission’s first and second debates.

Dominick Mastrangelo contributed. Updated at 3:50 p.m. ET