Michael Whatley, the chair of the Republican National Committee, told Newsmax on Thursday that "the best thing" the Republicans have going into the general election is former President "Donald Trump as our nominee."
Whatley, speaking on "American Agenda" during the third day of Trump's criminal trial in New York City, dismissed concerns that the former president's legal problems could harm his fundraising or his chances in November.
"The best thing that we've got is Donald Trump as our nominee," Whatley said.
He added that Trump "is going to continue to work. He's going to continue to move forward and campaign and it's our job here at the RNC to make sure that we are working every day as hard as he does on all of the things that we need to do to get ready for this election cycle. It's coming up in just over six months."
Whatley later called on President Joe Biden to agree to debate Trump, saying that when Republicans "put our solutions on the table, and people have an opportunity to compare them to the solutions that Democrats are proposing, they like the Republican positioning every single time."
He continued: "That's why we want so much to have a debate between President Trump and Joe Biden. So the American people can see those two next to each other and contrast where they stand on the issues."
Many major news groups, including The Associated Press, CBS News, ABC News, NBC News, and FOX News Media, released a joint statement calling on Biden and Trump to commit to debates during the 2024 general election campaign season.
Biden previously said last month, when asked if he would commit to a debate with Trump, that "it depends on his [Trump's] behavior."
When asked whether any debates between the two are likely, Whatley said: "We are going to have to wait on President Biden to let us know if he's going to come out of the basement and actually do a debate."
He continued, "We have been very clear, President Trump has been very clear, that he will debate Joe Biden anywhere, anytime, on any platform."
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