Trump Campaign Calls for Presidential Debates to Occur ‘Much Earlier’ in the Year

Former President Donald Trump’s campaign wants the presidential debates to happen earlier in the year than previously scheduled.

Fox News Digital reported on Thursday about a letter it exclusively obtained from Trump co-campaign managers Susie Wiles and Chris LaCivita sent Thursday to The Commission on Presidential Debates co-chairs Frank Farenkopf Jr. and Antonia Hernandez. 

LaCivita and Wiles said they were writing “in agreement with the pending letter… from television networks advocating for presidential debates to occur in 2024.” 

The “pending letter” was reported by The New York Times, as Fox notes.

“While the Commission on Presidential Debates has already announced three presidential debates and a vice-presidential debate to occur later this year, we are in favor of these debates beginning much earlier,” the Trump campaign officials stated.

Their letter continued:

“Voting is beginning earlier and earlier, and as we saw in 2020, tens of millions of Americans had already voted by the time of the first debate. Specific to the Commissions proposed 2024 calendar, it simply comes too late.”

LaCivita and Wiles added, “By the date of the first proposed debate, September 16, 2024, over 1 million Americans will have likely voted. By the date of the second proposed debate, October 1, 2024, the number of Americans who will have likely cast a ballot will be over 3 million, an increase of 225%.” 

And by the third proposed date of Oct. 9, there will be roughly 8.7 million Americans who voted.

The campaign insisted Americans in 2020 were deprived of “a true and robust debate” by only have two debates that were “much too late in the election calendar despite voting timelines having moved up exponentially.” 

Trump also spoke to Fox News Digital and insisted it is “very important to have the debates now because the country is doing so badly.” 

“I would fully accept any debate, anywhere, anytime,” he added.

President Joe Biden was asked in March about Trump’s challenge and responded, “It depends on his behavior.”