WASHINGTON — President Biden confirmed Friday that he may refuse to debate former President Donald Trump ahead of their anticipated election rematch.
“It depends on his behavior,” the 81-year-old Biden told reporters as he left the White House for a campaign trip to Philadelphia.
Trump, 77, said Wednesday that Biden must agree to debate him — amid suspicion that the incumbent would skip the traditional forums to deny the presumptive Republican nominee relatively unfettered TV air time.
“It is important, for the Good 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 platform.
“Therefore, I am calling for Debates, ANYTIME, ANYWHERE, ANYPLACE!”
Trump and Biden had two debates in 2020 amid the COVID-19 pandemic — during which the former reality TV star hectored Biden on policy and on his alleged role in his son and brother’s foreign business dealings.
The former president leads Biden by an average of 1.8% in national polls, according to the RealClearPolitics average, but faces as many as four criminal trials ahead of the election, making for an unprecedented contest.
Trump is also trying to become just the second president to win non-consecutive terms in office, and the first since Democrat Grover Cleveland 132 years ago.