Biden on Debating Sanders: ‘We Have Had Enough Debates’

Presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden responded to Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) campaign request about a potential debate in April saying, “We have had enough debates, I think we should get on with this.”

When asked by a reporter about the Vermont senator announcing that he plans to participate in the Democratic presidential debate in April if one is held, would he participate?

“My focus is just dealing with this crisis right now, I haven’t thought about any more debates,” Biden responded. “I think we’ve had enough debates, I think we should get on with this.”

Biden response during a virtual press briefing Wednesday afternoon, comes the day after a Sanders aide said the senator would participate in an April debate.

“Senator Sanders is still running for president,” Sanders communications director Mike Casca said Tuesday in a statement. “If there is a debate in April, he plans to be there.”

The Democratic National Committee has said previously that there would be a debate in April, but one has not been scheduled. The committee has yet to announce the media partner or a site host and with the Coronavirus outbreak crisis being the focus of the nation, there is no guarantee that the debate would take place.

“We are taking things day by day,” DNC spokeswoman Xochitl Hinojosa said, citing the rising uncertainty over coronavirus would make the logistics of organizing a debate safely more difficult.

Sanders responded to Biden’s comment in an interview on CNN’s “Anderson Cooper 360” Wednesday night, stating that he disagrees with Biden.

“I think we need a good debate as to where we go, not only just now but in the future,” Sanders said. “And to my mind, if there’s anything that this unexpected moment in American history should teach us, we’ve got to rethink the basic structures of American society, and that is guaranteed health care to all as a human right, creating an economy that provides for all people not just the wealthy.”

Biden currently leads with 1,155 pledged delegates so far — way ahead of Sanders’ 840. Candidates need 1,991 delegates to lock in the nomination. But with upcoming states pushing their primaries into June, the possibility of Biden securing the nomination might occur just weeks before July’s Democratic National Convention is schedule to take place.