President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump agreed Wednesday to participate in general election debates on June 27 and Sept. 10.
Presidential debate venue
A press release from CNN said the first, on June 27, would start at 9 p.m. ET and will be held in the news organization's studios in Atlanta.
Will the audience be allowed to listen debate?
"To ensure candidates may maximize the time allotted in the debate, no audience will be present. Moderators for the debate and additional details will be announced at a later date," CNN said.
The agreement came just hours after Biden challenged Trump to two debates hosted in a television studio ahead of the November election — a departure from the traditional system that has been used.
Trump quickly responded to that challenge, saying he disagrees with Biden's call to not debate in front of a crowd, but accepting the proposed dates and indicating he, too, was eager to debate.
The public agreement follows private back-channel discussions about possible meetings. Officials with the Biden and Trump campaigns have had informal conversations on debates in recent weeks, focused on meetings that would not involve the commission, according to two sources familiar, as well as a Trump campaign official.
Later in the morning, Biden said on X that he had accepted an invitation from CNN to participate in the June 27 debate.
"Over to you, Donald. As you said: anywhere, any time, any place," Biden said.
Shortly after, a Trump aide said they agreed to the CNN debate in Atlanta — and the fact there will be no crowd for that first debate.
Biden and Trump later in the morning said they accepted an invitation by ABC News to participate in a second debate on Sept. 10.
“I’ve also received and accepted an invitation to a debate hosted by ABC on Tuesday, September 10th," Biden said on X. "Trump says he’ll arrange his own transportation. I’ll bring my plane, too. I plan on keeping it for another four years.”
"It is my great honor to accept the CNN Debate against Crooked Joe Biden, the WORST PRESIDENT in the History of the United States and a true Threat to Democracy, on June 27th," Trump said on Truth Social. "Likewise, I accept the ABC News Debate against Crooked Joe on September 10th. Thank you, DJT!"
