According to a letter written by Joe Biden’s campaign manager, Jen O’Malley Dillon, the Biden campaign has committed to three scheduled debates with President Trump, which will take place on September 22, October 15, and October 22.
“Joe Biden looks forward to facing Donald Trump in a multi-debate series that the American people have come to expect from their leaders; we hope that President Trump would not break that tradition or make excuses for a refusal to participate,” O’Malley Dillon wrote in the campaign’s first formal communication with the commission which oversees presidential debates.
The statement comes as criticism of President Trump for taking varied positions on participating in the debates; first suggesting that he might not want to participate in any, and most recently pushing for four debates that would be held earlier than usual. Biden’s campaign stated in its letter that they want the debates to be conducted as they have traditionally. The letter did request though that accommodations be made to address concerns related to the novel coronavirus and that social distancing measures will be taken into account.
“Nothing should prevent the conduct of debates between Joe Biden and Donald Trump on these dates; again, we do not want to provide President Trump with any excuses for not debating,”O’Malley Dillon wrote.
