ZitatWASHINGTON, May 26 (Reuters) - Republican Donald Trump and Democrat Bernie Sanders could be heading to an unconventional face-off in California, after the two presidential candidates expressed an interest in squaring off in a one-on-one debate.
That would leave Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton on the sidelines in another bizarre twist to an unconventional election season.
Sanders, a U.S. senator from Vermont, is still running behind Clinton in the battle for the Democratic presidential nomination. Trump reached the number of delegates needed to secure the party's presidential nomination on Thursday, the Associated Press reported on Thursday, citing its own delegate count.
In an appearance on ABC's "Jimmy Kimmel Live" late on Wednesday, Trump said he was willing to participate in a debate with Sanders.
"If I debated him, we would have such high ratings," the billionaire New York developer and former reality TV star said. "I think I should ... take that money and give it to some worthy charity."
Sanders appeared to agree in a post on Twitter on Thursday.
"Game on," he tweeted. "I look forward to debating Donald Trump in California before the June 7 primary."