Donald Trump is hyped up about debating President Biden early and often from here to November, making it an almost daily part of his campaign commentary. Too bad he undermined his position by refusing to debate his GOP challengers.
Mr. Trump now says the two presumptive nominees have “an obligation” to debate, which he said is “for the good of our country.” We agree it would be useful, especially given how old both candidates are. Voters could compare their relative intellectual acuity as well as their positions on issues.
Mr. Biden says he’s open to debates depending on Mr. Trump’s behavior. But don’t be surprised if he declines, especially if he continues to rise in the polls. A coalition of media outfits issued a plea Sunday to both candidates to debate this year, but that is unlikely to make much of a difference.
Mr. Trump would be on firmer ground had he deigned to debate Nikki Haley, Ron DeSantis, Chris Christie and others. He refused because he didn’t want to answer direct questions about his first-term record, his legal vulnerability, or his glib vow to stop the war in Ukraine in 24 hours. The decision paid off for him, but voters are now likely to shrug at his pleas for Mr. Biden to appear on stage with him.
Mr. Trump likes to invoke political norms when they serve his purposes but dismiss them when they don’t. If Mr. Biden chooses not to debate, Mr. Trump can blame himself for setting the precedent.
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