Nancy Pelosi Says There Shouldn’t Be Any Debates Ahead of Election, Joe Biden Disagrees

Speaker Nancy Pelosi has said that she feels there shouldn’t be any presidential debates ahead of the election, but Joe Biden disagrees. While speaking to reporters on Thursday, Pelosi explained her position and firmly stood behind it. “I do not think that the president of the United States has comported himself in a way that anybody has any association with truth, evidence, data and facts,” she said.

Pelosi added that she thinks it is a mistake to “legitimize a conversation” or debate with President Donald Trump. “I think that he’ll probably act in a way that is beneath the dignity of the presidency,” the House Speaker stated. Biden respectfully disagreed, saying in an MSNBC interview that “the debates are going to take place.” He went on to say that he looks forward to playing “fact-checker on the floor,” and accused Trump of constantly “lying, lying, lying.” Biden then said, “As long as the commission continues down the straight and narrow as they have, I’m going to debate him.”

In her initial comments, Pelosi cited Trump’s “disgraceful” behavior during 2016 debates against Hillary Clinton as evidence for her stance on the matter. “He does that every day,” she continued. “But I think he will also belittle what the debates are supposed to be about.” Pelosi proposed a different concept, suggesting that the two candidates answer questions about policy and issues separately. She likes the idea of the men having a “conversation with the American people” rather than, what she calls, “an exercise in skulduggery.”

In a later conversation, with journalist Ari Melber on The Beat, Pelosi clarified her position. “Why I said he shouldn’t debate him has nothing to do with Joe Biden. Joe Biden will be – he is great as a debater,” Pelosi said. “What it is is about how totally inappropriate, that’s the nicest word I can think of, the president is. He has not even the slight flirtation with truth, fact, evidence, data.” Pelosi summed up her feelings by asking, “Why even waste everybody’s time listening to what he has to say?” Biden and Trump are currently scheduled to face off against one another three times before the election on Nov. 3.