Tracking down the origins (or “oranges” as TFG used to say) of this story is not simple, because Trump has been trashing Joe Biden all day. Donald Trump made a crack earlier on both Truth Social and Twitter that he wanted to go on the Super Bowl broadcast and be interviewed because Joe Biden had “just announced he will not be doing the big Super Bowl interview.” Then he switched to all-caps, “I WOULD BE HAPPY TO REPLACE HIM.” We’re sure of that. And “Would be RATINGS GOLD!”
But after a little searching, the source of Trump’s sudden fervor to debate was an appearance on the Dan Bongino show. Trump won’t even debate Nikki Haley and now he’s ready to escalate the normal course of things and get on TV opposite Joe Biden? But that is what he said. He wants “ten debates” and he wants them now, “for the good of the country.”
That grin on his face is the most disgusting grin ever pic.twitter.com/zzTzYfCQIR
— USMC Lady Vet 🇺🇸 (@Arkypatriot) February 5, 2024
Wellll, that’s strictly not true, Mr. President. Donald has lotsa stuff to do. There are golf balls to hit into the water and pretend they were a hole in one, there are hamberders and fries to be consumed in large quantity, tweets to be written (he proclaimed himself the “Hemingway of Twitter,” you may recall) ketchup bottles to be thrown, pussies to be grabbed, court cases to lose. Especially court cases to lose. That’s a busy schedule, if you stop to think of it.
I liked President Biden’s deadpanned contempt. I think it was the perfect note. Here’s what’s actually on calendar, debate wise, unless there are changes.
The Commission on Presidential Debates announced last year the dates and locations for three 2024 general election debates: Sept. 16 at Texas State University in San Marcos, Oct. 1 at Virginia State University in Petersburg, and Oct. 9 at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City.
The Biden campaign at the time declined to comment on the proposed schedule.
In 2020, Trump and Biden participated in only two general election debates, instead of the typical three. One debate was canceled after Trump contracted Covid.
This time around, Trump has repeatedly been criticized by his only remaining major GOP opponent, former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley, for not participating in debates during the primary season.
Haley’s campaign seized on Trump’s debate comments Monday, saying it is “thrilled” that he has “finally acknowledged the importance of debates.”
“Now it’s time for Trump to man up and agree to debate Nikki Haley,” Haley spokesperson Olivia Perez-Cubas said in a statement. “Nikki is ready to put her conservative record and vision for a strong and proud America up against Trump’s campaign of chaos and vendettas.”
Trump has plenty of time to debate Haley. And it would be quite the show if he did. My take on this is that he won’t debate Haley and he doesn’t want to move up the time frame to debate Biden. Trump’s just blowing smoke into the mirrors because that’s what he does. It’s all about image and sounding good.
Now what I fervently hope is that Haley turns up the heat and demands that Trump debate her. That is what he has opened himself up for. So far Trump has been nothing but dismissive of Haley, because he doesn’t take her seriously and wants her to drop out. It would be a real coup on Haley’s part if she can somehow shame him into a debate. That I would love to see.
No way Nikki Haley can shame Trump into a debate. No way anybody can shame Trump into anything. Because he has no shame.
Well, he’s really stepped in it. Haley would eviscerate him in a debate, as would President Biden, but with dicing. The cult needs to understand that their messiah is a sick dope who can’t think on his feet and win a debate, even (as they would say) against a woman. I think Haley would (figuratively) grab his diminutive members and induce a flow of gibberish that would prove the point.
Sadly, I cannot decide which is,wirse:
1) a miracle occurs and she is the candidate, because she is smart and might bring back moderate Rs unto the fold and the Trumpies lose power-‘ because she might win
OR
2)Trump wins.
I lean toward (2) because, as pointed out, he will hang in there until he croaks. Haley would at least accept a loss or would leave office after two terms.