Biden vs. Trump: Presidential debates set amid election showdown

As the former president announced on Wednesday, the first debate between Joe Biden and Donald Trump will be on June 27th on CNN and the second on September 10th on ABC television. The Trump campaign is pushing to organize two additional debates in July and August.

"It is my great honor to accept the CNN Debate against Crooked Joe Biden, the WORST PRESIDENT in the History of the United States and a true Threat to Democracy, on June 27th," Trump announced on his social media platform TRUTH Social. He also confirmed his acceptance of the proposal for a debate on September 10th on ABC News.

This announcement comes in response to Biden's public challenge, issued via a video recording on social media.

Donald Trump lost two debates to me in 2020, and since then, he hasn’t shown up to a debate," Biden said in a video posted online earlier in the day. "Now he’s acting like he wants to debate me again. Well, make my day, pal. I’ll even do it twice."

The first debate is set to take place shortly after the anticipated end of Trump's trial and Biden's return from the G7 summit in Italy. The second will happen before mail voting starts in the first states. Unlike past practices, President Biden wants the debates to be organized directly by the television networks in collaboration with the campaigns of both candidates rather than by a specially appointed commission.

The Biden campaign advocates for debates that avoid spectacle, favoring events without an audience and the option to turn off a candidate's microphone if they exceed their time limit. Conversely, Trump's campaign aims to create the most prominent spectacle possible at a large venue and has suggested two additional debate dates in July and August. A vice-presidential debate is also planned for July.