Trump offers to debate Biden in White House or Manhattan courthouse

Former President Donald Trump suggested on Friday that he debates President Joe Biden at the White House or the Manhattan Courthouse where his alleged hush money trial is underway, after Biden said he would be "happy" to debate his chief rival.

Biden said he would debate Trump during a live interview with Howard Stern earlier Friday, marking the first time Biden expressed a willingness to debate the former president. Trump has challenged Biden to debates multiple times and even asked the Commission on Presidential Debates to schedule the debates earlier in the year.

Trump said he was willing to debate Biden any day next week, or even Friday night after he got out of court. Trump has been forced to attend every day of the trial, in which he is accused of falsifying financial documents to hide an alleged "hush money" payment that ultimately went to former porn star Stormy Daniels.

"He’s in New York City today, although probably doesn’t know it, and so am I, stuck in one of the many Court cases that he instigated as ELECTION INTERFERENCE AGAINST A POLITICAL OPPONENT - A CONTINUING WITCH HUNT!" Trump posted to Truth Social. "It’s the only way he thinks he can win. In fact, let’s do the Debate at the Courthouse tonight - on National Television, I'll wait around!" 

Trump repeated the offer to debate Biden on Friday night in a comment to Fox News, claiming he was ready for the debate and just needed to be told when and where to go.

"He can do it anytime he wants, including tonight. He can do it tonight," Trump said. "I invited him to the courthouse that he has us tied up in. This is a well coordinated attack on a political opponent. But I'm here, I'm ready, willing and able." 

The former president also suggested the debate occur at the White House. 

"We'll do it at the White House. That would be very comfortable, actually," Trump said. "We've heard nothing, but he said today he'd love to debate. But he won't debate. I don't think he'll debate. Maybe he will."

The Commission on Presidential Debates has scheduled three debates this year, with the first occurring in Texas on Sept. 16, and the others occurring in October. Trump and Biden debated each other twice in the 2020 presidential election, but Trump did not debate any of his Republican challengers earlier this year.