The debate between President Joe Biden and former president Donald Trump will be more consequential—and possibly more interesting—than the latest rap beef between Drake and Kendrick Lamar.
Joe Biden and Donald Trump have agreed to take the stage for two presidential debates.
The debates are set for June and September, hosted by CNN and ABC News respectively, shifting away from the traditional Commission on Presidential Debates structure.
The striking agreement comes after initial reservations, as both candidates harbored doubts over each other’s adherence to debate regulations. Biden stipulated a debate free of a live audience to emphasize a focused and substantive discussion.
“I want a debate with no audience,” Biden said, advocating for an equitable “man-to-man” setup held through a television broadcast network rather than the standard commission.
Biden sees the debates as a pivotal opportunity to engage on pressing issues such as reproductive health, economic policies and energy strategies.
Trump, a figure who flourishes amidst the rah-rah ambiance of live spectators, initially pushed for a more dynamic debate atmosphere. Trump issued a statement ready to take on his bitter rival.
“I am Ready and Willing to Debate Crooked Joe at the two proposed times in June and September,” Trump posted on his Truth Social account.
The June 27 debate, distinctively hosted shortly after Biden’s participation at the G7 Summit and Trump’s New York criminal trial, umbrellas the urgency linked with early voting schedules.
In contrast, the September debate leans into the critical juncture of the fall election campaign.
Set in a television studio, the debates promise to enforce strict time limits with alternating speaking turns—a disciplined mechanism aimed at fostering constructive discourse.
Notably, Biden’s camp moved to prevent independent and third-party candidates from participating, eager to focus the dialog squarely on the key opposition.
Biden’s campaign has already combined rap’s cultural resonance with the heated political atmosphere by releasing a video overlayed with Kendrick Lamar’s diss track “euphoria,” which targets Trump.
The clip utilized unflattering depictions of Trump while lampooning him through modified lyrics originally aimed at Drake. Biden dissed the former POTUS’ political tenure with lines like “I hate the way that you walk over women’s rights” and “the way that you talk about immigrants.” It also disparaged Trump’s engagement with Truth Social: “I hate the way that you sneak diss on Truth Social.”
The video captured widespread attention, surpassing 400,000 views across various social media platforms. Watch it below.