Biden Says He Will Participate In Presidential Debate With Trump

President Biden, speaking in a radio interview with Howard Stern today, has revealed that he is willing to participate in a presidential election debate with former President Donald Trump, reversing a long-held White House position against pre-election debates.

• When asked by Stern if he would debate Trump, Biden replied: “I am, somewhere, I don’t know when, but I am happy to debate him.”
• Biden's announcement comes after a group of major new networks issued an open letterto Trump and Biden urging them to hold a debate.
• The New York Times notes that Trump’s campaign rallies have been recently, "punctuated with an empty lectern and placards reading: “anytime, any place, anywhere” in an attempt to publicly pressure Mr. Biden to debate."
• The decision to debate could be a major risk to Biden as Trump is widely seen an a more nibble orator and less likely to be bound by conventional debate convention. It will also put Biden's age back into the spotlight and any signs of physical or verbal fragility will be amplified by the conservative media.
• Although chatter of Biden's age has decreased following a stronger-than-expected performance at the State of the Union Address in March, it is still a prominent issue for voters and one which regularly features highly in surveys of voter concerns.