OnPolitics: Biden and Trump agree to two televised debates

Hey OnPolitics readers!  President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump agreed Wednesday to debate each other twice, first in June and again in September, after a rapid back-and-forth between their campaigns and a flurry of taunts and insults from the candidates.

CNN announced it will host a debate in Atlanta on June 27, and ABC announced a second one on Sept. 10. The announcements came after Biden began the day challenging Trump to two debates under his terms − bucking the format of the bipartisan Commission on Presidential Debates, the traditional host of the televised events, USA TODAY's Francesca Chambers, Joey Garrison and David Jackson reported.

📺 The agreement sets the stage for the earliest televised general election debate since the tradition started in 1960 while also removing any debates during the homestretch of the campaign in October, when people in many states are already voting.

🤝🏻 In a video posted online Wednesday, Biden said he was willing to debate Trump twice before the general election − and proposed the first face-off take place in June. The campaign proposed a second debate in September "prior to the beginning of early voting," echoing a Trump campaign demand. Trump agreed to both debates in social media posts. His campaign called for additional debates in July and August.

Prep for the polls: See who is running for president and compare where they stand on key issues in our Voter Guide

Prep for the polls: See who is running for president and compare where they stand on key issues in our Voter Guide

🥊 Both campaigns have expressed frustration with the Commission on Presidential Debates. The Biden team has long complained that the commission failed to enforce its own rules in 2020, when Trump constantly interrupted Biden. Trump has complained without evidence about alleged commission bias against him.

Read more: Biden and Trump agree to two televised debates, bucking commission

Stay in the know on politics: Sign up for the OnPolitics newsletter

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Biden and Trump agree to two televised debates