If two people agree to a debate, but one of them participates in bad faith, and spends the majority of the time talking over the other, sidestepping virtually every point their counterpart makes, blatantly lies, employs personal insults and frequently airs irrelevant grievances, is it still considered a debate?
I know what you’re referencing, and I appreciate you keeping the question generic. To that end, I’ll keep my reply generic as well.
No, it’s not a debate; it’s a trap. If the good-faith participant agrees to the debate, it will go down exactly like you said.
If the one acting in good faith refuses to debate the bad-faith one (because they know that’s what they’re going to do), then the bad-faith one will just gloat that the good-faith person is a coward who won’t debate them.
Either way, the one acting in bad faith “wins”.
Remember kids, winners never cheat, and cheaters never lose.