As rumors swirl that the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden will try to avoid debating President Donald Trump, his wife, Dr. Jill Biden, says he plans to attend the debates.
During an appearance on Fox News on Tuesday, Jill Biden was asked by host Dana Perino if her husband plans on debating Trump. She responded, “Oh yes, he will. I think it’s three debates that they decided on.”
“So, yeah, he’ll be there,” she added.
In June, the Biden campaign committed to three presidential debates, as IJR reported.
Perino noted that former White House spokesman Joe Lockhart, who served under former President Bill Clinton and supports Joe Biden, penned an op-ed urging him to skip the debates.
When asked if she thinks it is helpful for Democrats to skip the debates, Jill Biden said, “I didn’t even realize he had written the article. So no, Joe will make up his own mind.”
Watch the video below:
.@DanaPerino asks Jill Biden if Joe Biden will show up to the debates against President Trump:
— Daily Caller (@DailyCaller) August 4, 2020
"He'll be there" pic.twitter.com/gHDnZTAc3b
In an op-ed on CNN, Lockhart urged Joe Biden to avoid debating Trump, “Whatever you do, don’t debate Trump. Trump has now made more than 20,000 misleading or false statements according to the Washington Post.”
“It’s a fool’s errand to enter the ring with someone who can’t follow the rules or the truth. Biden will undoubtedly take heat from Republicans and the media for skipping the debates. But it’s worth the risk as trying to debate someone incapable of telling the truth is an impossible contest to win,” he said.
While allies of Biden encouraged him to skip the debates, Trump’s campaign is calling for more debates. Trump adviser Kellyanne Conway said on Monday, “The country deserves to have the two party nominees who want to be president, leader of the free world out there as much as possible, addressing issues, answering all of your questions, and showing a great contrast.”
“I think that’s healthy for democracy, particularly when it’s an unusual year in so many ways,” she added.