Trump 'ready to rumble' as he accepts debate challenge

US president Joe Biden trolled Donald Trump about his ongoing criminal hush-money trial as he dared his rival to go head-tohead with him in a presidential debate.

- ANDREW FEINBERG

“I hear you’re free on Wednesdays,” the president said, a reference to the weekly day off from the trial that is taking place in a Manhattan criminal court.

After a rapid back-and-forth between Mr Biden and the former president, the two men agreed to face-off on stage for the first time since 2020, on 27 June. The debate will be hosted by CNN at the network’s Atlanta headquarters, with a moderator to be announced closer to the time. No audience will be present, the network said in a press release.

In a post on Twitter/X, Mr Biden said his and Mr Trump’s campaign teams have also agreed to a second debate on 10 September, to be hosted by ABC. “Trump says he’ll arrange his own transportation. I’ll bring my plane, too. I plan on keeping it for another four years,” he wrote.

The two candidates’ commitment to take part in the debates came after an exchange that took place on social media and in other public statements issued by the two presidential campaigns. Mr Biden fired the starting pistol yesterday morning in a video released by his campaign, in which he proposed a series of two debates, one in June and the other in October.