Biden Aides Suggested 9/11 As Date For Another Trump Debate, Memo Reveals

Senior aides of former President Joe Biden suggested 9/11 could be a suitable date for a debate during the 2024 election cycle, a new memo shows.

The document, obtained by journalists Josh Dawsey, Tyler Pager, and Isaac Arnsdorf and published by Politico on Monday, sought to convince Biden to debate Donald Trump earlier than what the Commission of Presidential Debates recommended. It comes ahead of their upcoming book "2024: How Trump Retook the White House and the Democrats Lost America," set to be released on Tuesday.

Overall, senior aides of Biden suggested in the document that the president debate Trump earlier than usual for four reasons: "To debate Trump early and before many Americans would already be voting; to debate two times this cycle; to set the terms of debate to work best for YOU; to move quickly to set timing and a plan for debates, so YOU enter the debate process from a position of strength."

The memo goes on to recommend Biden debated twice, "with the option to reevaluate after the first debate." Aides said that "by holding the debate in the spring, YOU will be able to reach the widest audience possible before we are deep in the summer months with the conventions, Olympics, and family vacations taking precedence."

"In addition, the earlier YOU are able to debate the better, so that the American people can see YOU standing next to Trump and showing the strength of YOUR leadership, compared to Trump's weakness and chaos," the memo adds. The proposed dates were June 26 and 27 for the first debate and September 11 and 12 for the second one.

Biden ended up taking part in just one debate. After the disastrous June 27 event, in which the then-president failed to display sharpness and convey readiness to lead the nation for another four years, he faced fierce criticism from both Republicans and Democrats, with many members of his own party openly calling him to drop out of the race. Biden eventually stepped out of the race on July 21, announcing his exit and endorsement for Vice President Kamala Harris on social media.