A debate over whether President Joe Biden should participate in televised debates with Donald Trump, who is referred to as 'Defendant Trump', is unfolding. David Frum, writing for The Atlantic, argues that giving Trump equal status on a TV stage would normalize his attempted coup, suggesting Biden should avoid such debates. Conversely, other commentators believe Biden's refusal to debate, at least three times, could be interpreted by voters as a sign of his incapacity due to age, potentially harming his image. A proposal has been made for Trump to challenge Biden to Lincoln-Douglas style debates instead of traditional ones with moderators, which some believe are rigged.
A consortium of television networks have invited President Joe Biden to debate Donald Trump on their platforms—but giving Trump equal status on a TV stage would be a dire normalization of his attempted coup, @davidfrum argues: https://t.co/vATy5ApEFp https://t.co/ihM1VIRaXo
Instead Of Debates With Rigged Moderators, Trump Should Challenge Biden To Lincoln-Douglas Contests https://t.co/68oDOWeld1
…and Biden is refusing to debate Trump. https://t.co/Jx48jfSSdi
Joe Biden is free to skip the debates, but no one who opposes Trump should fool themselves about how many voters will interpret a decision like that. If the 81-year-old Biden refuses to participate, many Americans will conclude that it’s because he’s too old and that either he or…
President Biden should not debate Defendant Trump. https://t.co/8yS3ZY7TBS
An appalling argument. Biden and Trump must debate — at least three times. https://t.co/fLm6utzbGE
Latest in @TheAtlantic : Why President Biden should not do a TV debate alongside Defendant Trump https://t.co/8yS3ZY7TBS