Trump, Sanders could square off
Republican Donald Trump and Democrat Bernie Sanders have explored staging an unconventional United States presidential debate that would sideline Democratic frontrunner Hillary Clinton and create a TV spectacle that could attract huge ratings.
The two men expressed interest yesterday in a one-on-one encounter in California, even though Republican and Democratic presidential candidates traditionally do not debate each other until the parties have selected their nominees.
‘‘I’d love to debate Bernie,’’ Trump said after he secured enough delegates to clinch the Republican presidential nomination. ‘‘I think it would get very high ratings. It would be in a big arena.’’
Basking in the glow of his newly sealed nomination at a later campaign rally in Billings, Montana, Trump said he expected to put 15 states in play in the general election, compared with three or four for a traditional Republican.
Sanders campaign manager Jeff Weaver said there had been ‘‘a few discussions’’ between the campaigns about the details.
‘‘We hope Donald Trump has the courage to get on stage now that he said he would.’’
Sanders, a senator from Vermont, is lagging far behind Clinton in the race for the Democratic nomination for the November 8 presidential election.
A nationally televised debate with the presumptive Republican nominee would be a big boost to his chances in the California primary on June 7, when Clinton is likely to clinch the nomination.
Trump said a debate with Sanders could raise up to US$15 million (NZ$22.24m) for charity.
‘‘I’d love to debate Bernie, but they’ll have to pay a lot of money for it,’’ he said.
The idea was hatched during an appearance by Trump on the Jimmy Kimmel Live talkshow on Thursday.
‘‘Game on,’’ Sanders tweeted. ‘‘I look forward to debating Donald Trump in California before the June 7 primary.’’
Clinton, who backed out of an agreement to debate Sanders before the California vote, said she did not think a Trump-Sanders showdown would happen.
‘‘This doesn’t sound like a serious discussion. I’m looking forward to debating Donald Trump in the general election. I really can’t wait to get on the stage with him,’’ she said.
A Fox News spokeswoman confirmed that the network was trying to host a forum with Trump and Sanders.
Trump yesterday unveiled an ‘‘America first’’ energy plan he said would unleash unfettered production of oil, coal, natural gas and other energy sources to push the US towards energy independence.
He said he would do everything he could to ‘‘free up the coal’’ and bring back thousands of jobs lost amid steep competition from cheaper natural gas and regulations designed to cut air pollution and reduce greenhouse gases blamed for global warming.
Trump, who is among many Republicans who reject mainstream climate science, also promised to cancel the Paris climate agreement and stop all payments of US tax money to a United Nations fund to mitigate the effects of climate change worldwide.