Karl Rove: Biden-Trump debate would be ‘most important’ one since 1980

Republican strategist Karl Rove said Friday that a debate between former President Trump and President Biden would be the most significant one in recent decades.

“This will be the most important presidential debate, if it happens, since at least the 1980 presidential debate,” Rove said on Fox News to anchor Martha MacCallum. 

Biden indicated in an interview with radio host Howard Stern on Friday that he’s up to debating his rival for the presidency.

“I am, somewhere. I don’t know when, but I am happy to debate him,” Biden responded when asked about the possibility.

“You may remember back then there was only one between incumbent [former President Carter] and his challenger, [former President Reagan],” Rove continued in his Fox News appearance. “A lot of undecideds in late October when the one debate took place. And out of that debate, Ronald Reagan said the right things that convinced the voters who are up for grabs to move decisively into his camp.”

Biden has previously said committing to a debate with Trump “depends on his behavior.” During the 2020 election cycle, Trump was criticized for the way he behaved while on the debate stage; he talked back to the moderator and talked over Biden often in the first debate.

The former president responded to Biden’s comments about a possible debate in a later post on Truth Social.

“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, ANYWHERE, ANYTIME, ANYPLACE, an old expression used by Fighters,” Trump said.

Three presidential debates have been scheduled, starting in September, for the 2024 cycle, along with one vice presidential debate.