In a letter addressed to the Commission on Presidential Debates, Donald Trump's campaign managers have called for an earlier start to the debate schedule between Trump and President Joe Biden. The campaign argues that by the time of the first scheduled debate on September 16, over 1 million Americans will have already cast their votes. They propose adding more debates to the currently proposed schedule to ensure that a larger number of Americans have the opportunity to see the candidates in action before making their decision.

Trump's co-campaign managers, Susie Wiles and Chris LaCivita, expressed concern that the current debate timetable comes too late, considering the increasing number of Americans opting for early voting. They emphasized the importance of giving voters a full chance to observe the candidates before they begin casting their ballots. Additionally, they cited the example of Abraham Lincoln and his opponent Stephen A. Douglas, who held a record number of seven debates during their 1858 U.S. Senate race in Illinois, arguing that the country deserves a similar level of engagement.

The letter comes at a time when there is speculation surrounding whether the candidates will participate in traditional debates at all. While Trump has expressed willingness to debate Biden "anytime, anyplace, and anywhere," Biden has not yet publicly committed to debating Trump in the general election, stating in March that it depends on Trump's behavior.

The Trump campaign also criticized the nonpartisan Commission on Presidential Debates, accusing them of adding unnecessary structure and selecting a moderator who is allegedly anti-Trump. They voiced dissatisfaction with the commission's decision to cut off the candidates' microphones following the chaotic first debate. According to the campaign, these factors contributed to "Americans being robbed of a true and robust debate in 2020."

As the campaign pushes for an accelerated debate schedule, Biden responded to Trump's insistence by quipping that if he were in Trump's position, he too would want to debate him as Trump has "nothing else to do."

The commission, which was founded by former RNC Chair Frank Fahrenkopf and former Democratic National Committee Chair Paul Kirk, has yet to respond to the campaign's proposal for earlier and more presidential debates.