In a post on Truth Social, former President Donald Trump called for debates against President Joe Biden, his anticipated rival for the 2024 presidential election.
"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. Therefore, I am calling for debates, anytime, anywhere, anyplace," Trump wrote.
Trump said the debates could be run by the Democratic National Committee, which he alleges is corrupt, or by the Commission on Presidential Debates, a nonpartisan nonprofit that has sponsored all of the presidential debates since 1988.
But no incumbent president has stood for a primary debate, going all the way back to President Gerald Ford.
In 2023 before the field narrowed, Democratic challengers to President Biden called for primary debates, which did not take place.
Democratic candidate Marianne Williamson wrote in Newsweek at the time that failing to hold primary debates amounted to "candidate suppression."
Williamson suspended her 2024 campaign in February, but later "unsuspended" it, saying she had to respond to the threat posed by Trump.
President Biden's closest Democratic rival, U.S. Rep. Dean Phillips, suspended his campaign and endorsed President Biden on Wednesday.
Mitch McConnell endorses Donald Trump for president
It's a remarkable turnaround for McConnell, who has blamed Trump for "disgraceful" acts in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol.
Trump is the only major Republican candidate remaining in the race following a near-sweep of Super Tuesday contests.
His closest challenger, former U.N. ambassador and North Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, formally suspended her campaign Wednesday after winning only one state contest on Tuesday.
As of Wednesday afternoon, the Biden campaign has not responded to Trump's comments.
