WASHINGTON, April 27 — Joe Biden said yesterday he is ready to face off against his White House challenger Donald Trump in a presidential debate, with the Republican, ensnarled in multiple criminal cases, proposing to hold the verbal duel at a New York courthouse without delay.

Candidate debates have been important milestones in US presidential elections for decades, helping make or break voters’ opinions of the contestants’ personal style and demeanour as much as their policy chops.