Aides told former President Joe Biden he would debate Donald Trump from "a position of strength." The June 2024 showdown didn't turn out that way.

The full memorandum, first published by Politico, argued that waiting for the traditional fall debate schedule would be too late. It recommended that Biden debate Trump "as early as possible" to reach voters before early ballots were cast in key states and before the race became mired in summer conventions and the Paris Olympics.

Former President Joe Biden is slowly stepping back into the spotlight since his White House exit in January to defend his legacy in the face of GOP investigations. On the few occasions that Biden has chosen to speak to the public,