Trump, Biden agree to first debate on June 27

President Biden and former President Trump have accepted an invitation to a presidential debate June 27 hosted by CNN, setting the stage for the first showdown between the two major party candidates ahead of the 2024 election and each party’s convention.

“I’ve received and accepted an invitation from @CNN for a debate on June 27th. Over to you, Donald. As you said: anywhere, any time, any place,” Biden posted on the social platform X.

Trump told Fox News Digital in a subsequent statement he had also accepted the invitation for the June 27 debate, telling the outlet he is “looking forward to being in beautiful Atlanta.”

The network said shortly after in a statement that it would host the debate without an audience at its Atlanta studios. It will be aired live on CNN, CNN International, CNN en Espanol and CNN.com.

The two candidates not long after the CNN announcement also agreed to a debate on ABC on Sept. 10.

The Biden campaign earlier Wednesday called for the first debate to take place in late June, after the president returns from the Group of Seven summit in Europe and after Trump’s hush money trial in New York will likely have concluded.

The campaign suggested a second debate in September ahead of the start of early voting in many states, as well as a vice presidential debate in late July, after the Republican and Democratic National Conventions.

The Biden campaign said it would work directly with news organizations to set up the debates, spurning the Commission on Presidential Debates, which has facilitated the debates between presidential candidates since 1988.