The 2024 presidential election is approaching, and calls for debates between potential candidates are increasing. Donald Trump and his team are pushing for debates to happen sooner rather than later, emphasizing that Trump is ready to debate Joe Biden anytime, anywhere. This call for debates is seen as a way to force Biden’s team to make a decision early on, with Trump’s team expressing confidence that he can excel on the debate stage. The Trump campaign also wants debates to happen earlier in the election cycle to reach voters before they make a decision, and to potentially weed out third-party candidates that could cause issues for both Trump and Biden.
On the other hand, the Biden campaign is not rushing to commit to any specific date or format for the general election debates. While Trump’s enthusiasm for debates has been met with skepticism by Biden’s team, debates are viewed as just one piece of their overall strategy to get their message to voters. Biden had previously conditioned debates on Trump’s behavior, implying that he would only debate if Trump meets certain standards. The Biden campaign sees debates as part of the overall work they are doing to reach voters, alongside other efforts such as building their organization and media campaigns.
Both Trump and Biden have had different experiences with debates in the past. Trump eagerly attended most debates during the 2016 election, but skipped some debates in 2020. Biden, on the other hand, has viewed debates as a positive experience, seeing them as a chance to showcase his policies and compare his record with his opponent. While the value of debates in terms of viewership may fluctuate, strategists and operatives believe that debates still matter as they provide voters with a chance to see candidates side by side and compare their policies and records.
There is a debate among experts about whether Trump and Biden should debate in the upcoming election. Some believe that debates are important for voters to see candidates in action and make an informed decision, while others argue that the risks outweigh the benefits. Skipping debates would break with the tradition of general election candidates debating before the election, a practice that has been in place for decades. Ultimately, the decision of whether or not to debate will have implications for how voters perceive the candidates and could shape media narratives leading up to the election.
