Biden, Asked if He’s Planning to Debate Trump, Says ‘I Am’

President Biden said on Friday that he would participate in a general-election debate with former President Donald J. Trump, a striking shift after months in which he and his campaign declined to commit to appearing onstage with his Republican rival.

Mr. Biden’s announcement, made in response to a question from the radio host Howard Stern, comes after pressure from television networks and Mr. Trump’s campaign for the president to agree to participate in debates.

When Mr. Stern asked Mr. Biden if he would debate Mr. Trump, the president replied: “I am, somewhere, I don’t know when, but I am happy to debate him.”

Mr. Biden’s remarks appeared to be off the cuff, rather than a planned announcement of a shift in his campaign’s strategy, according to a top Democratic official familiar with its thinking. The Biden campaign directed questions on Friday about whether its stance on debates had changed to Mr. Biden’s comments on the Stern program.

A top campaign adviser to Mr. Trump, Chris LaCivita, replied to the Biden comments by writing on social media: “Ok let’s set it up !”

Mr. Biden and Mr. Trump debated twice in 2020, with Mr. Trump pulling out of a third debate because he refused to participate virtually after testing positive for the coronavirus. Ill will remains on the Biden side out of a widespread belief that Mr. Trump knowingly exposed Mr. Biden to the virus during the first debate, which the former president has denied.