News organizations make joint statement urging Trump, Biden to debate
Fox News joins other media outlets urging the presumptive presidential nominees to debate before the 2024 election.
"Real Time" host Bill Maher predicted that President Biden will debate former President Trump, but it's "gonna be bad" for him.
On Friday's "Overtime" segment on YouTube, Maher posed a viewer question to his guests whether Biden will agree to face off against his 2020 rival and "should he."
"Well, I think he will. I think it's gonna be bad on Biden if he goes into the debate," Maher said. "I mean, I've said it before. They're almost the same age. But for some reason, Trump just doesn't present as old and feeble… And he kind of looks the same."
HBO's Bill Maher says former President Trump "doesn't present as old and feeble" like President Biden does. (Screenshot/HBO, Getty Images)
"Trump would destroy him in a live debate. He would destroy Biden in a live debate," British TV personality Piers Morgan said. "How many live press conferences has Joe Biden done? I mean, there's a reason they don't put him in front of a large gathering of the media for a sustained period of time taking questions. There's a reason."
"Yeah, that's true," Maher said.
British TV personality Piers Morgan insisted Trump would "destroy" Biden in a debate. (Screenshot/HBO)
93-year-old TV icon William Shatner, who Maher referred to fondly as the "old wise one" of the panel, pointed out that Biden doesn't actually have to "answer" the questions at the debate like he didn't in the 2020 debates.
"They're not really debates. Ever," Maher chimed in. "We really haven't had debates. They're both on the stage, they ask a question, they say whatever they want, they talk over each other-"
"Or in [Trump's} case, talk behind each other, Shatner quipped, alluding to Trump's 2016 town hall debate with Hillary Clinton.
"Right, Trump does that," Maher conceded before telling Shatner, "We got to go on the road together."
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Several news organizations including Fox News released a joint statement urging both Trump and Biden to "publicly commit" to presidential debates. (Morry Gash/Pool via REUTERS)
Trump has repeatedly called for debates against Biden though the president himself has yet to commit.
Several news organizations, including Fox News, released a joint statement Sunday urging the presumptive Democratic and Republican presidential nominees to "publicly commit."
"If there is one thing Americans can agree on during this polarized time, it is that the stakes of this election are exceptionally high," the organizations wrote. "Amidst that backdrop, there is simply no substitute for the candidates debating with each other, and before the American people, their visions for the future of our nation."
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Meanwhile, Maher argued last month that Biden should limit his public appearances and revive his "basement" strategy after the president gave his State of the Union address.
"We said, 'Yeah, well he can't do what he did last time, because there was a pandemic, stay in his basement.' Yes, he can," Maher said. "No one gives a s--- about that. The chattering classes will talk about it. And the public will be like, what do I care?! I don't want to watch this all the time anyway! I don't need to see him every day. He doesn't need to go around the country. Stay where you are. Every once in a while, make a speech like this."
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