"They want him to stay hiding and for good reason," the "Hannity" host said during his opening monologue. "His most recent debate performances were, frankly, painful to watch."

Hannity was responding to former White House press secretary Joe Lockhart, who penned an op-ed last week urging Biden not to debate Trump prior to the November election.

“Whatever you do, don’t debate Trump,” Lockhart wrote on CNN's website. “Trump has made more than 20,000 misleading or false statements, according to the Washington Post. It’s a fool’s errand to enter the ring with someone who can’t follow the rules or the truth. Biden will undoubtedly take heat from Republicans and the media for skipping the debates. But it’s worth the risk as trying to debate someone incapable of telling the truth is an impossible contest to win.”