The Trump campaign is asking for additional debates and for the showdowns to begin much earlier than initially scheduled
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EXCLUSIVE: The Trump campaign is calling for additional 2024 presidential debates and for them to take place "much earlier" than initially proposed by the debate commission, with former President Trump telling Fox News Digital that he is "totally committed" to debating President Biden "anytime, anywhere, anyplace."
Fox News Digital exclusively obtained a letter Trump co-campaign managers Susie Wiles and Chris LaCivita sent Thursday to The Commission on Presidential Debates co-chairs Frank Farenkopf Jr. and Antonia Hernandez.
Wiles and LaCivita told the commission they were writing "in agreement with the pending letter," reported by The New York Times, "from television networks advocating for presidential debates to occur in 2024."
"While the Commission on Presidential Debates has already announced three presidential debates and a vice-presidential debate to occur later this year, we are in favor of these debates beginning much earlier," they wrote.
TRUMP CALLS FOR DEBATES WITH BIDEN 'ANYTIME, ANYWHERE, ANYPLACE'
Former President Donald Trump arrives at Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson Airport in Georgia on Wednesday, April 10, 2024. Trump is visiting the state to host a campaign fundraising event. (Robin Rayne for Fox News Digital)
First, Wiles and LaCivita said "voting is beginning earlier and earlier, and as we saw in 2020, tens of millions of Americans had already voted by the time of the first debate."
"Specific to the Commissions proposed 2024 calendar, it simply comes too late," they wrote, adding an estimate of how many Americans will have already voted by the date of each scheduled debate.
"By the date of the first proposed debate, September 16, 2024, over 1 million Americans will have likely voted," they wrote. "By the date of the second proposed debate, October 1, 2024, the number of Americans who will have likely cast a ballot will be over 3 million, an increase of 225%."
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By the third proposed debate date on Oct. 9, 35 days from Election Day, Wiles and LaCivita estimated that "approximately 8.7 million Americans will have already voted."
Democratic presidential candidate former Vice President Joe Biden answers a question and President Donald Trump listens during the second and final presidential debate Thursday, Oct. 22, 2020, at Belmont University in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/Morry Gash, Pool)
The Trump campaign argued that in 2020, Americans "were robbed of a true and robust debate," with the commission only hosting two debates that took place "much too late in the election calendar despite voting timelines having moved up exponentially."
In an exclusive interview with Fox News Digital on Thursday, Trump, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, said it is "very important to have the debates now because the country is doing so badly."
Trump listed the crisis at the southern border, national security, America's standing on the world stage, rising crime, the economy and more.
"The country is in such trouble," Trump told Fox News Digital. "What are Biden’s plans?"
"I would fully accept any debate, anywhere, anytime, anyplace," he continued.
When asked if he thought Biden, too, would commit to a debate against him on the issues that matter most to voters, Trump replied:
"Perhaps he will, perhaps he won’t. I really don’t care," he said. "I am totally committed to debating him anytime, anywhere, any place."
As for the debate schedule, Trump told Fox News Digital "the earlier the better."
first lady Melania Trump, left, and President Donald Trump, center, remain on stage as Democratic presidential candidate former Vice President Joe Biden, right, walk away at the conclusion of the second and final presidential debate Thursday, Oct. 22, 2020, at Belmont University in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)
"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," he explained. "We are no longer respected around the world. There are so many things that are happening."
He added: "It’s not the same country that we had just four years ago."
Meanwhile, in their letter to the debate commission, the Trump campaign said that in 2020, the commission "ceded to the wishes of the Biden campaign on every front."
"Fairness in such a setting is paramount and the Commission must ensure that the 2024 Commission-sponsored debates are truly fair and conducted impartially," they wrote.
"The Commission must move up the timetable of its proposed 2024 debates to ensure more Americans have a full chance to see the candidates before they start voting, and we would argue for adding more debates in addition to those on the currently proposed schedule," they wrote. "We have already indicated President Trump is willing to debate anytime, anyplace, and anywhere—and the time to start these debates is now."
"Former President Abraham Lincoln and former U.S. Senator Stephen A. Douglas held seven debates in their storied 1858 U.S. Senate battle in Illinois," they added. "Certainly today’s America deserves as much."
Biden and his campaign have yet to commit to debates against Trump.
When asked last month if he would debate the former president, Biden said it was dependent on Trump’s "behavior."
"Depends on his behavior," Biden said.
Brooke Singman is a political correspondent and reporter for Fox News Digital, Fox News Channel and FOX Business.
