(USNewsBreak.com) – So far, it looks like former President Donald Trump and current Commander-in-Chief Joe Biden will go head-to-head in a rematch of 2020 later this year. Pundits have questioned whether the two parties will hold debates. Now, several news outlets have issued a joint statement asking the two candidates to commit to debate dates.
Will They or Won’t They?
During the Republican primary race, Trump refused to debate those running against him, saying he was so far ahead of the competition that he saw no need to show up. So, he didn’t. He focused on some rallies and campaigns, along with his legal woes, which have seemingly had little to no effect on his popularity.
However, the general election is an entirely different ballgame. In the statement, the outlets made it clear that “the stakes of this election are exceptionally high” and that “there is simply no substitute for the candidates debating with each other.” CBS, The Associated Press, Fox News, CNN, NBCUniversal News Group, USA Today, NPR, NewsNation, Univision, PBS NewsHour, and C-SPAN all signed it.
Despite his unwillingness to participate in primary debates, Trump has signaled that he would be open to presidential debates. His decision to consider attending a mainstream media event comes despite a 2022 GOP vote prohibiting Republican candidates from participating in affairs hosted by the Commission on Presidential Debates. According to CBS News, his campaign managers, Chris LaCivita and Susie Wiles, called in a letter for fairness and for the commission to “move up the timetable of its proposed 2024 debates” and possibly add even more.
In a post on Truth Social, the former president said he’d welcome the opportunity to debate Biden because he believes the incumbent “can’t put two sentences together.” At a recent rally, he also relayed the same message, saying, “anytime, anywhere, any place.”
What the Polls Say
The polls have seen the two candidates neck and neck for quite some time. However, the past few weeks have recorded a shift. For example, Trump had a 5% lead on Biden, 48% to 43% in The New York Times/Sienna March survey. In just six weeks, the current POTUS managed to gain ground, and he’s now within 1%, with Trump still leading 46% to 45%. According to Newsweek, Biden is leading his rival in 10 polls. However, the margins are still exceedingly close, within 1% to 4%.
Most pundits would confirm that it’s simply too early to tell who will win this far out from the election. However, facing a close battle, the candidates could sway Independent and undecided voters through debates.
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