Pressure builds on Biden to debate Trump: Ex-president's campaign demands the primetime showdowns are earlier as five networks urge them to hit the stage and bring them millions of viewers

The pressure is building on President Joe Biden to agree to debate Donald Trump as the former president called for earlier engagements and the television networks are urging the candidates to hit the stage.

'While the Commission on Presidential Debates has already announced three presidential debates and a vice-presidential debate to occur later this year, we are in favor of these debates beginning much earlier,' Trump co-campaign managers Susie Wiles and Chris LaCivita sent Thursday to The Commission on Presidential Debates. 

In the letter, obtained by Fox News, the co-managers note that 'voting is beginning earlier and earlier, and as we saw in 2020, tens of millions of Americans had already voted by the time of the first debate.' 

But Trump is also expected to spend much of the fall in court, fighting legal charges in Georgia state court and federal court in Florida. 

The pressure is on Joe Biden to agree to debate Donald Trump

There is a detailed plan for three presidential debates and a vice presidential one already in place from the Commission on Presidential Debates, a nonpartisan organization that has leaders from both sides of the political aisle. 

They have the debates slated for Sept. 16, Oct. 1, and Oct. 9.

'By the date of the first proposed debate, September 16, 2024, over 1 million Americans will have likely voted,' Wiles and LaCivita wrote. 'By the date of the second proposed debate, October 1, 2024, the number of Americans who will have likely cast a ballot will be over 3 million, an increase of 225%.' 

The Trump letter comes as the major television news networks are preparing a joint letter to send to Biden and Trump to beg them to participate in the debates.

The letter - from ABC, CBS, CNN, NBC and Fox News - is not yet final, the New York Times reported, and the networks also want co-signers from other leading national news organizations, including newspapers.

'We, the undersigned national news organizations, urge the presumptive presidential nominees to publicly commit to participating in general election debates before November's election,' the letter reads.

'If there is one thing Americans can agree on, during this polarized time, it is that the stakes of this election are exceptionally high,' the letter continues. 

'There is simply no substitute for the candidates debating with each other, and before the American people, their visions for the future of the nation.' 

Whether Biden and Trump will meet this fall on the debate stage remains a mystery.

Biden hasn't committed to a debate but seemed open to it, telling reporters who asked him about Trump's challenge: 'It depends on his behavior.' 

He's also joked of Trump: 'If I were him, I'd want to debate me, too. He's got nothing else to do.' 

His team has expressed concerns about the commission’s failure to enforce the rules in the 2020 debate, particularly when it came to Trump.

In their first debate, hosted by Fox News, Trump repeatedly interrupted Biden during Biden's allotted speaking time and didn't stop - even when moderator Chris Wallace urged him to. 

At one point, Biden said to Trump: 'Will you shut up, man?' 

Donald Trump's team has asked the Commission on Presidential Debates to move up the presidential debate schedule

Joe Biden's team has expressed concerns about the commission’s failure to enforce the rules in the 2020 debate, particularly when it came to Donald Trump, who repeatedly interrupted Biden's speaking time - above the two men at a debate in Cleveland in September 20202

Additionally, Biden's team was furious about the failure to enforce COVID protocols around the first presidential debate, which took place during the height of the pandemic.

Hope Hicks, a top aide to Trump, had tested positive for COVID ahead of the debate. Trump announced after the debate he was positive. The second debate was cancelled as it was scheduled for a time Trump would still be considered as contagious.

Trump has previously slammed the debate commission as biased against him and had, at one point, said he would not debate under their rules.

He has railed against the moderators the commission chose, complained about a technical issue with his microphone during one of the 2016 debates, and refused to participate in the second 2020 debate virtually when he was still contagious from COVID, resulting in its cancellation.

But, on social media last month, Trump said he would debate Biden 'ANYTIME, ANYWHERE, ANYPLACE.' 

'It is important for the Good of our Country, that Joe Biden and I Debate issues that are so vital to American, and the American people,' Trump wrote. 'Therefore, I am calling for Debates, ANYTIME, ANYWHERE, ANYPLACE!' 

It was a change of heart from the former president who refused to participate in any of the Republican presidential primary debates.

In the 2020 contest, Biden and Trump debated twice.

More than 73 million people watched the two men during their first debate - which was short of the 84 million who watched Trump take on Hillary Clinton in 2016. 

But presidential debates are typically among the most-watched telecasts of the year, beating events like the Oscars.

One television network is the host and the event is typically simulcast on every major cable and broadcast network.

If none take place, this year's election could be the first in 50 years without a debate between the general election candidates.