Biden Campaign Lays Out Conditions For Presidential Debates With Trump

According to a letter obtained by a number of news outlets, US President Joe Biden has proposed at least two televised debates with former President Donald Trump ahead of the November 5 presidential election. The offer comes with a number of conditions seemingly designed to reduce some of Trump perceived strengths; the debates to take place without a crowd present; without third-party candidates like Robert F Kennedy Jr.; and with microphones designed to cut off when the speaker's allotted time has elapsed.

• The New York Times reports that Trump appears have agreed to the dates proposed by Biden, with the first to take place as soon as early June, but it is unclear if Trump has agreed to Biden's other terms.
• Until recently, the prevailing view among analysts was that Biden was unlikely to agree to any public debate due to concerns that Trump's more nimble public speaking style could open reopen the issue of Biden's age and mental competence.
• However, a recent polling trend which has hinted at an ascendant Trump campaign suggest that the White House now considers debates an acceptable risk in order to draw a more direct contrast between the personalities of Biden and Trump - a key campaign strategy for the White House. Concerns over Biden's capacity to speak publicly have also receded slightly since his well-received State of the Union Address in March.