It took former President Donald Trump less than an hour to pick up the gauntlet tossed by President Joe Biden.

Biden took to social media early Wednesday morning to declare he’d beaten Trump in both of the debates the pair held in 2020, but noted the former president hadn’t since bothered to appear at any of his party’s pre-primary debates. In the meantime, Trump, the president said, has been “acting like he wants to debate me again.”

“Well, make my day, pal,” Biden said, before challenging the 45th president to meet for two debates.

Donald Trump lost two debates to me in 2020. Since then, he hasn’t shown up for a debate.

Now he’s acting like he wants to debate me again.

Well, make my day, pal. pic.twitter.com/AkPmvs2q4u

— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) May 15, 2024

Trump agreed to the meetings a little more than half-an-hour later, but in his usual way had more to say on the matter.

“Crooked Joe Biden is the WORST debater I have ever faced — He can’t put two sentences together! Crooked is also the WORST President in the history of the United States, by far. It’s time for a debate so that he can explain to the American People his highly destructive Open Border Policy, new and ridiculous EV Mandates, the allowance of Crushing Inflation, High Taxes, and his really WEAK Foreign Policy, which is allowing the World to ‘Catch on Fire,’” Trump wrote via his Truth Social media platform, capitalization his.

The first agreed-upon debate will be held on June 27 and conducted by CNN, the second on Sept. 10 and hosted by ABC. CNN has indicated its debate will be held at its Atlanta studios and without a live audience. Trump accepted both debates.

“It is my great honor to accept the CNN Debate against Crooked Joe Biden, the WORST PRESIDENT in the History of the United States and a true Threat to Democracy, on June 27th. Likewise, I accept the ABC News Debate against Crooked Joe on September 10th,” Trump wrote.

Trump’s team, in a memorandum addressed to Biden’s campaign HQ, wrote that the Make America Great Again campaign would prefer the candidates meet twice as often before the November election, citing “soaring inflation,” the state of the border, and global conflicts and their impact on U.S. college campuses.

“Therefore, we propose a debate in June, a debate in July, a debate in August, and a debate in September, in addition to the Vice Presidential debate. Additional dates will allow voters to have maximum exposure to the records and future visions of each candidate,” they wrote.

Jen O’Malley Dillon, Biden-Harris 2024 campaign chair, said they aren’t even sure the 45th president will show up to the two debates he’s apparently accepted.

“Donald Trump has a long history of playing games with debates: complaining about the rules, breaking those rules, pulling out at the last minute, or not showing up at all – which he’s done repeatedly in all three cycles he’s run for president. He said he would debate President Biden anytime, anywhere, anyplace. In fact, he’s said and posted it dozens of times with varying degrees of comprehension and basic grammar. President Biden made his terms clear for two one-on-one debates, and Donald Trump accepted those terms. No more games. No more chaos, no more debate about debates. We’ll see Donald Trump on June 27th in Atlanta – if he shows up,” she said in a statement shared by the campaign.

Trump said he’s “ready and willing” to debate the sitting president, but said an audience would make for a better show.

“I would strongly recommend more than two debates and, for excitement purposes, a very large venue, although Biden is supposedly afraid of crowds – That’s only because he doesn’t get them. Just tell me when, I’ll be there,” he said. “Let’s get ready to Rumble!!!”

The pair of presidential debates will be the first held outside the purview of the Commission on Presidential Debates since that body’s founding in 1987. Both Biden and Trump’s campaigns complained of the debate schedule set by the commission, raising concerns the meetings would occur after voters in some states were allowed to start casting early ballots.

The Republican National Committee said last month it would not participate in commission debates, and  Biden’s campaign joined their opposition to the non-partisan group’s approach to the important meetings and suggesting the debates should be held without an audience to interrupt the candidates.

Herald wire services contributed.