NEW YORK – US President Joe Biden said on April 26 that he would participate in a general election debate with former president Donald Trump, a striking shift after months in which he and his campaign declined to commit to appearing onstage with his Republican rival.

Mr Biden’s announcement, made in response to a question from radio host Howard Stern, comes after pressure from television networks and Trump’s campaign for the President to agree to participate in debates.

When Mr Stern asked Mr Biden if he would debate Trump, the President replied: “I am, somewhere, I don’t know when, but I am happy to debate him.”

Mr Biden’s remarks appeared to be off the cuff, rather than a planned announcement of a shift in his campaign’s strategy, according to a top Democratic official familiar with its thinking.

The Biden campaign directed questions on April 26 about whether its stance on debates had changed to Mr Biden’s comments on the Stern programme.

Trump, who was spending April 26 in court in New York City during his criminal trial, responded hours later, writing on his social media site: “Crooked Joe Biden just announced that he’s willing to debate! Everyone knows he doesn’t really mean it, but in case he does, I say, any time, anywhere, any place, an old expression used by Fighters.”

Trump went on to propose debating as early as next week, or even “at the courthouse tonight – on national television, I’ll wait around”.

Mr Biden and Trump debated twice in 2020, with Trump pulling out of a third debate because he refused to participate virtually after testing positive for Covid-19.

Ill will remain on the Biden side out of a widespread belief that Trump knowingly exposed Mr Biden to the virus during the first debate, which the former president has denied.

In April, the five major TV news networks and The Associated Press wrote an unusual letter to the Biden and Trump campaigns urging them to debate.

Some of Mr Biden’s top aides and closest advisers have been long-time critics of the presidential debate system, which is organised by the non-partisan Commission on Presidential Debates.

In November, the commission announced that three presidential debates would take place in San Marcos, Texas; Petersburg, Virginia; and Salt Lake City. A vice-presidential debate is to be held in Easton, Pennsylvania.

In April, the Trump campaign sent a letter asking the debates commission to move its three planned debates earlier in autumn and to add more to the schedule.

Over the last month, Trump has tried to ratchet up the pressure on Mr Biden to debate, with two of his top advisers, Ms Susie Wiles and Mr Chris LaCivita, strategising on how best to do so.

At Trump’s recent rallies, he has goaded Mr Biden over debates: Before Trump takes the stage, screens show an image of his Truth Social post claiming his willingness to debate Mr Biden “any time, anywhere, any place”.

A staff member then brings an empty lectern on the stage, with a sign bearing those three words. The lectern remains in place while Trump gives his campaign speech.

“See the podium?” Trump said at a rally in April in Schnecksville, Pennsylvania.

“I’m calling on crooked Joe Biden to debate any time, anywhere, any place.”

The Trump campaign has also issued other public challenges to Mr Biden, saying in interviews, on social media and in printed campaign material that Trump would debate Mr Biden any time and anywhere.

Trump, who did not participate in any Republican primary debates, has even said he is ready to confront Mr Biden onstage now – months earlier than debates typically begin.

Mr LaCivita has indicated that the campaign wants more debates than the traditional three – believing that the more the American public is exposed to Mr Biden, the less confident it will be in his capacities to lead.

Still, Trump’s eagerness could backfire.

In the 2020 campaign, he underestimated Mr Biden’s ability, and the debates – especially the first one, in which his ranting frequently interrupted his rival – were widely believed to have hurt Trump.

Part of the problem was that Trump and his allies have largely experienced Mr Biden through the conservative news media, where they often see a mash-up of the most unflattering clips of Mr Biden stumbling, looking lost or otherwise showing his age.

The impression among many Trump advisers is that they are dealing with a president who is barely able to complete a sentence.

Trump was so surprised by Mr Biden’s energetic performance at his recent State of the Union address that he speculated without any evidence that the President must have been on drugs. NYTIMES