Will Joe Biden and Donald Trump face off in 2024 debates? Former president calls for earlier events

WASHINGTON – Former President Donald Trump's reelection campaign formally asked the Commission on Presidential Debates on Thursday to move up its fall schedule as soon as possible, potentially trying to pressure President Joe Biden into earlier debates in a heated election season.

"President Trump is willing to debate anytime, anyplace, and anywhere – and the time to start these debates is now," the letter from the Trump campaign said.

The Biden campaign has not yet committed to any debates. The Biden campaign on Thursday said Trump is playing politics with his repeated requests for early debates, citing a comment the president made in February: "If I were him, I’d want to debate me, too. He’s got nothing else to do."

Trump refused to debate Republican opponents during the GOP primary. Before he clinched the Republican nomination, he claimed he didn't want to let his former challengers, such as former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, take shots at him as he led the Republican field.

But the former president looks like he's taking a decidedly different tactic with regard to the general election against Biden.

"I think it is important that we debate and the earlier the better because people have to find out what is going on with America," Trump told Fox News Digital as the letter went to the debate commission.

More than two years ago, the Republican National Committee told the Commission on Presidential Debates that its 2024 nominee would not participate unless changes were made in terms of selecting moderators and scheduling debates before early voting began in any of the states. Trump had claimed without evidence the commission was biased against him during the 2020 race against Biden.

In a January 2022 letter to the commission, the RNC said it "has a duty to ensure that its future presidential nominees have the opportunity to debate their opponents on a level playing field."

It wasn't immediately clear on Thursday whether those requests were granted, or whether the RNC withdrew the asks. No presumptive presidential nominee has ever agreed to – or proposed – a debate before their nominating conventions. Trump has been calling for early debates ever since he wrapped up the GOP nomination in early March as a way to put pressure on Biden.

The commission has scheduled three presidential debates and one vice presidential debate in September and October.

The first presidential debate is scheduled for Sept. 16.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Donald Trump seeks earlier debates with Joe Biden in 2024