Former President Trump hinted at a cautious hope that CNN might handle the first presidential debate fairly, giving it a “good 10% chance” of unbiased treatment. On Logan Paul’s “IMPAULSIVE” podcast, Trump discussed his plans to participate in the June 27 debate with President Biden. He pointed out that Biden’s campaign was initially hesitant and surprised by his quick agreement to the event.

Trump mentioned that the Biden campaign had specific preferences for the debate format, such as being seated, which he opposed. Despite his reservations about CNN, he recalled a previous town hall with the network that he felt went well and stated his belief that CNN would strive to be as fair as possible.

He emphasized the importance of having a debate and expressed a willingness to accept the proposed conditions, including CNN’s involvement and the selection of moderators like Jake Tapper.

Co-host Mike Majlak noted that Trump’s suggestion of potential fairness from CNN seemed to deviate from his usual criticism of the network. Trump conceded that there might be a slight chance of fairness but reaffirmed his general distrust, calling CNN “fake news.” He recalled his previous experience with CNN, particularly a town hall moderated by Kaitlan Collins, where he felt the network had not been impartial.

When asked if he was surprised by Biden’s decision to debate him, Trump admitted he was slightly surprised, believing Biden’s team had expected him to reject CNN as the debate host. He recounted an incident where CNN cut away from his victory speech following the New Hampshire primary, viewing it as evidence of the network’s bias against him but reiterating the importance of participating in the debates.

Trump highlighted the significance of the debates, pointing out that CNN had extensively covered his campaign but refused to broadcast his nomination speech, which he saw as a sign of their animosity towards him. He maintained that having debates is crucial and expressed his readiness for multiple debate events.

A CNN spokesperson mentioned that specific rules and formats for the debate would be disclosed as the event approaches. The debates were scheduled after Biden challenged Trump to debate him in June and September, with Trump promptly accepting.

The first debate on June 27 will be co-moderated by Jake Tapper and Dana Bash from CNN, while the second debate, hosted by ABC on September 10, will be moderated by David Muir and Linsey Davis.