After criticism from Hillary Clinton’s campaign, Donald Trump has now said he will agree to three debates this fall – but he has to see the conditions, Time magazine reported.
Clinton’s campaign accused Donald Trump of “shenanigans” after he questioned the timing of the presidential debates. Her campaign also confirmed that Clinton will participate in all three debates.
In a statement Monday night, Clinton’s campaign chairman, John Podesta, said the Democratic nominee “looks forward to participating” in the presidential debates, adding that the only issue is whether Trump will show up.
“It is concerning that the Trump campaign is already engaged in shenanigans around these debates,” Podesta said. “It is not clear if he is trying to avoid debates, or merely toying with the press to create more drama.”
But on Tuesday, Trump told Time during a phone interview he will “absolutely do three debates.”
“I want to debate very badly,” he told the magazine. “But I have to see the conditions.”
During the interview, Trump also mentioned his successful renegotiating of the primary debates and said he has the right to object to the moderators, which haven’t been announced yet.
Trump had previously called the debate schedule “unacceptable” because two of them are scheduled on the same nights as NFL football games. “Hillary & the Dems are trying to rig the debates so 2 are up against major NFL games,” he wrote on Twitter late last month.
The presidential debate dates were selected in September 2015 by a nonpartisan group, the Commission on Presidential Debates. They will be held Monday, Sept. 26; Sunday, Oct. 9 and Wednesday, Oct. 19. There are football games on Sept. 26 and Oct. 9.
