Biden says he will only debate Trump if he behaves well: President says there is a chance of an onstage battle with his rival in 2024, but ‘it depends on his behavior’

President Joe Biden appeared open Friday to the idea of ​​refusing to debate former President Donald Trump before the 2024 election.

The president spoke briefly about the debates during his remarks to reporters on the tarmac before departing on Air Force One for a trip to Philadelphia.

When asked by a reporter if he would commit to debating Trump, Biden responded briefly: “It depends on his behavior.”

Biden’s comment is the president’s first reaction in response to former President Donald Trump’s debate challenge on Wednesday.

“It is important, for the sake of our country, that Joe Biden and I debate issues that are so vital to America and the American people,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social media platform. ‘Therefore, I call for debates, ANYTIME, ANYWHERE, ANYWHERE!’

Donald Trump challenged Joe Biden to a debate on Wednesday and promised to meet him ‘ANY TIME, ANYWHERE, ANYWHERE!’

Questions about whether Biden would even attend the debates began in earnest after White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre repeatedly refused on Wednesday to commit to Biden’s attendance at the debates. The campaign also declined to commit, telling reporters they would discuss it “at the appropriate time in this cycle.”

Biden’s response drew ridicule from Trump staff who mocked the president on social media.

“Corrupt Joe is afraid to debate,” Trump campaign adviser Steven Cheung wrote. exchange video of the exchange in X.

The debates are organized and led by the Commission on Presidential Debates, which has already announced scheduled events ahead of Election Day.

The first debate will take place on September 16 at Texas State University in San Marcos, the second will take place on October 1 at Virginia State University in Petersburg, and the third and final debate will take place on October 9. October at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City. The vice presidential debate will take place at Lafayette College in Easton, Pennsylvania, on September 25.

In the first presidential debate of 2020, Biden was thoroughly upset when Trump repeatedly interrupted and talked over his rival as Fox News host moderator Chris Wallace struggled to keep both candidates in check.

When Trump pressed Biden to answer a question about whether he would try to pack the Supreme Court, an exasperated Biden finally exploded.

‘Will you shut up, man?’ he said.

Wallace later described the debate as “a terrible missed opportunity.

“I never imagined it would go off the rails like it did,” he said.