Democratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom said Saturday that President Joe Biden should debate former President Donald Trump — despite Biden’s refusal to commit to a debate thus far.
When asked by NBC News’ “Meet the Press” moderator, Kristen Welker, about whether the two should debate in the fall in the likely event that they are the two major-party nominees, Newsom said, “100%.”
“Biden beat Trump in the prior debates. I look forward to it,” Newsom said.
“This is ... pure projection on a guy who refused to debate in his own primary,” he added, saying it was “weakness masquerading as strength.”
Trump has skipped all GOP primary debates this cycle. But he said this month he wants to face off against Biden “immediately,” adding it would be “for the good of the country.”
Biden’s campaign has refused to commit to any general election debates.
Trump’s request to debate Biden came almost two years after the Republican National Committee voted to withdraw from events put on by the Commission on Presidential Debates, which has overseen the process for decades. At the time, RNC Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel said the group withdrew from debates because the commission “is biased and has refused to enact simple and commonsense reforms to help ensure fair debates.”
In November, the commission released the dates and locations of three presidential debates it hopes to host this fall. The schedule includes a debate in September at Texas State University in San Marcos, a debate in October at Virginia State University in Petersburg and a second debate in October at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City.
