London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Sunday, Sep 14, 2025

NYT Columnist Urges Biden to Change Terms of Debates with Trump

NYT Columnist Urges Biden to Change Terms of Debates with Trump

"Trump Must Release Tax Returns", "Live Fact Check Because Trump Will ’Lie and Mislead’"
A prominent columnist for the New York Times is urging Joe Biden’s campaign to rethink the terms agreed upon for the three debates between their candidate and President Donald Trump.

“I worry about Joe Biden debating Donald Trump,” Thomas Friedman, a political and foreign affairs columnist at the Times wrote on Tuesday. “He should do it only under two conditions. Otherwise, he’s giving Trump unfair advantages.”

Friedman, who has won the Pulitzer Prize three times for his work, proceeded to argue that the former vice president should not appear at the debates unless Trump releases his tax returns and a “real-time fact-checking team approved by both candidates” is included in the debates.

Ten “minutes before the scheduled conclusion of the debate this team report on any misleading statements, phony numbers or outright lies either candidate had uttered,” he wrote. “That way no one in that massive television audience can go away easily misled.”

The columnist asserted that the two conditions would ensure both candidates were on even footing, especially as “Trump might very well lie and mislead for the entire debate, forcing Biden to have to spend a majority of his time correcting [him] before making his own points.”

“He should not go into such a high-stakes moment ceding any advantages to Trump,” Freidman wrote. “Trump is badly trailing in the polls, and he needs these debates much more than Biden does to win over undecided voters.”

The column comes as Biden has agreed to take part in only the customary three debates between the Republican and Democrat presidential candidates. Trump, who last year floated the idea of skipping the debates in general, had made an aggressive push for more than three debates. The president also sought to decrease the role of moderators in the process, allowing the candidates a less structured environment in which to exchange views and discuss topics important to the nation.

Some on the left, however, are worried that even three debates could be potentially damaging to Biden’s White House hopes. In particular, many fear that if the former vice president’s penchant for gaffes reemerges during the televised encounters, it could potentially hurt the wide lead his campaign has established in most polls.

Biden, himself, has not addressed that likelihood, instead remaining optimistic. Last week after a speech in Delaware, Biden told reporters that he “can hardly wait” for the opportunity to face Trump on the debate stage.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
French Debt Downgrade Piles Pressure on Macron’s New Prime Minister
US and UK Near Tech, Nuclear and Whisky Deals Ahead of Trump Trip
One in Three Europeans Now Uses TikTok, According to the Chinese Tech Giant
Could AI Nursing Robots Help Healthcare Staffing Shortages?
NATO Deploys ‘Eastern Sentry’ After Russian Drones Violate Polish Airspace
Anesthesiologist Left Operation Mid-Surgery to Have Sex with Nurse
Tens of Thousands of Young Chinese Get Up Every Morning and Go to Work Where They Do Nothing
The New Life of Novak Djokovic
The German Owner of Politico Mathias Döpfner Eyes Further U.S. Media Expansion After Axel Springer Restructuring
Suspect Arrested: Utah Man in Custody for Charlie Kirk’s Fatal Shooting
In a politically motivated trial: Bolsonaro Sentenced to 27 Years for Plotting Coup After 2022 Defeat
German police raid AfD lawmaker’s offices in inquiry over Chinese payments
Turkish authorities seize leading broadcaster amid fraud and tax investigation
Volkswagen launches aggressive strategy to fend off Chinese challenge in Europe’s EV market
ChatGPT CEO signals policy to alert authorities over suicidal youth after teen’s death
The British legal mafia hit back: Banksy mural of judge beating protester is scrubbed from London court
Surpassing Musk: Larry Ellison becomes the richest man in the world
Embarrassment for Starmer: He fired the ambassador photographed on Epstein’s 'pedophile island'
Manhunt after 'skilled sniper' shot Charlie Kirk. Footage: Suspect running on rooftop during panic
Effective Protest Results: Nepal’s Prime Minister Resigns as Youth-Led Unrest Shakes the Nation
Qatari prime minister says Netanyahu ‘killed any hope’ for Israeli hostages
King Charles and Prince Harry Share First In-Person Moment in 19 Months
Starmer Establishes Economic ‘Budget Board’ to Centralise Policy and Rebuild Business Trust
France Erupts in Mass ‘Block Everything’ Protests on New PM’s First Day
Poland Shoots Down Russian Drones in Airspace Violation During Ukraine Attack
Brazilian police say ex-President Bolsonaro had planned to flee to Argentina seeking asylum
Trinidad Leader Applauds U.S. Naval Strike and Advocates Forceful Action Against Traffickers
Kim Jong Un Oversees Final Test of New High-Thrust Solid-Fuel Rocket Engine
Apple Introduces Ultra-Thin iPhone Air, Enhanced 17 Series and New Health-Focused Wearables
Macron Appoints Sébastien Lecornu as Prime Minister Amid Budget Crisis and Political Turmoil
Supreme Court temporarily allows Trump to pause billions in foreign aid
Charlie Sheen says his father, Martin Sheen, turned him in to the police: 'The greatest betrayal possible'
Vatican hosts first Catholic LGBTQ pilgrimage
Apple Unveils iPhone 17 Series, iPhone Air, Apple Watch 11 and More at 'Awe Dropping' Event
Pig Heads Left Outside Multiple Paris Mosques in Outrage-Inducing Acts
Nvidia’s ‘Wow’ Factor Is Fading. The AI chip giant used to beat Wall Street expectations for earnings by a substantial margin. That trajectory is coming down to earth.
France joins Eurozone’s ‘periphery’ as turmoil deepens, say investors
On the Anniversary of Queen Elizabeth’s Death: Prince Harry Returns to Britain
France Faces New Political Crisis, again, as Prime Minister Bayrou Pushed Out
Murdoch Family Finalises $3.3 Billion Succession Pact, Ensuring Eldest Son’s Leadership
Big Oil Slashes Jobs and Investments Amid Prolonged Low Crude Prices
Court Staff Cover Up Banksy Image of Judge Beating a Protester
Social Media Access Curtailed in Turkey After CHP Calls for Rallies Following Police Blockade of Istanbul Headquarters
Nayib Bukele Points Out Belgian Hypocrisy as Brussels Considers Sending Army into the Streets
Elon Musk Poised to Become First Trillionaire Under Ambitious Tesla Pay Plan
France, at an Impasse, Heads Toward Another Government Collapse
Burning the Minister’s House Helped Protesters to Win Justice: Prabowo Fires Finance Minister in Wake of Indonesia Protests
Brazil Braces for Fallout from Bolsonaro Trial by corrupted judge
The Country That Got Too Rich? Public Spending Dominates Norway Election
Nearly 40 Years Later: Nike Changes the Legendary Slogan Just Do It
×