Sanders Campaign Hoping Trump Does Not ‘Chicken Out’ From Trump-Sanders Debate [Video]

Though there has been no formal agreement between two campaigns, their interviews suggest that both the Trump’s and Sanders’ camp are ready for a feisty debate before California primary.

Recently, CBS News reported that Jimmy Kemmel had asked Donald Trump if he would debate Sanders for charity, to which Trump responded asking how much the network was putting for the debate, though he eventually agreed – perhaps jokingly – to the hypothetical match up. Trump also disclosed that he has never met Sanders in the interview.

Multiple sources told CBS News Thursday morning, however, that the presumptive nominee was just kidding about debating Sanders — it will never happen, they said.

But Sanders immediately took to Twitter and made it clear that he was actually willing to have a debate with the Republican nominee, given the chance.

Sanders’ campaign manager Jeff Weaver, however, told CNN Thursday that a debate with Trump could still happen.

“There have been a few discussions,” Weaver said of scheduling a debate, adding that the talks were “preliminary.” Still, he said, “We have heard from, I think, every network.”

After the tweet, the speculation on the much waited debate began to heat up, and Politico reported that both campaigns have seemingly agreed to the debate.

The Sanders campaign – left frustrated after Democratic rival Hillary Clinton refused a Fox News debate before California’s primary on June 7 – continued to move along with the notion, with Sanders making it clear that he can not wait for the head on battle against the Republican nominee.

“Now I understand that yesterday on the Jimmy Kimmel show, which I’m going to be recording later today, Donald Trump has agreed to debate me. I look forward to that,” Sanders told an audience during the live-streamed event.

In the same day, Sanders’ campaign provoked Donald Trump by saying that they hope the Republican nominee does not “chicken out” from the debate after informally agreeing to a match-up, despite the presumptive GOP front-runner saying he’d “love to debate Bernie.”

Bernie Sanders to Donald Trump: Don't chicken out.

(Like Hillary Clinton)https://t.co/CN7Vy0QmEf#BernieTrumpDebate#FeelTheBern

— ???Sister Kate ??? (@ViewFromOz) May 26, 2016

“We are ready to debate Donald Trump. We hope he will not chicken out. I think it will be great for America to see these two candidates and the different visions they have for America going forward,” Sanders campaign manager Jeff Weaver told CNN’s Wolf Blitzer. “What we’ll have to see, Wolf, is does Donald Trump have the courage to get on the stage with Bernie Sanders. That remains to be seen.”

Rhetoric aside, it seemed Trump was as willing as Bernie for the potential match-up.

“I’d love to debate Bernie. He’s a dream,” the real estate magnate said in Bismarck, North Dakota.

“If we can raise for maybe women’s health issues or something. If we can raise $10 or $15 million for charity, which would be a very appropriate amount. I understand the television business very well. I think it would get high ratings,” Trump said.

Donald Trump implied that he is already preparing for the debate and added that his team has been in conversation with several networks about hosting the debate.

“It should be in a big arena somewhere. And we can have a lot of fun with it. I’d love to debate Bernie” he said. “The problem with debating Bernie is he’s going to lose. Because honestly his system is rigged. Just like our system is rigged.”

Thursday night, Trump submitted a question for Kimmel to ask Sanders, questioning if the senator would run as an independent “when Debbie Wasserman-Schultz and the party bosses steal this nomination away from you?”

https://twitter.com/HollywoodNewsA1/status/736026416605585408

“Let me tell Mr. Trump: I really do appreciate his concern for me. I know that comes straight from his heart,” Sanders said, laughing.

“But tell him that what I hope will happen is that, in fact, I will run against him as the Democratic nominee for president of the United States, and if I do, we’re going to beat him and beat him bad. You can tell him that.”

[Photo By Tom Pennington/Getty Images]