Lafayette College Easton announced this week that a debate between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump's future running mate has been canceled.
This will be the first time since the Commission on Presidential Debates was founded in 1987 that it will not host a debate.
The vice presidential debate in Lafayette and the three presidential debates were canceled because neither presidential campaign could agree to the terms of the debate commission.
“We are disappointed to have to make this decision and are disappointed that students from four campuses will lose the opportunity to participate in this historic voter education forum,” debate committee co-chairs Antonia Hernandez and Frank Fahrenkopf said in a statement Monday.
The debate plans have been in the works since November. In April, the Republican National Committee voted to withdraw from the debate, citing the committee's “bias.” The Biden-Harris campaign also indicated its intention to withdraw in a letter sent on May 15, according to a statement released by the committee on Monday.
Lafayette College was scheduled to host the vice presidential debate on Sept. 25. The canceled debates between President Joe Biden and President Trump, the presumptive 2024 Democratic and Republican presidential nominees, respectively, were scheduled to be held at Texas State University on Sept. 16, Virginia State University on Oct. 1 and the University of Utah on Oct. 9.
Instead, Biden and Trump are scheduled to debate at 9 p.m. Thursday at CNN studios in Atlanta, according to the Associated Press. The candidates have set ground rules that differ from those of the Commission on Presidential Debates.
According to the Associated Press:
- There will be no audience and no opening statements.
- Each candidate's microphone will be muted except when it is their turn to speak.
- No props or pre-written notes are permitted onstage.
- Candidates will be given only a pen, notepad and a bottle of water.
ABC News will broadcast the second presidential debate on September 10th.
Trump said Saturday that he has chosen his running mate, who will appear in Thursday's debate, according to the Associated Press. But it's unclear when Trump will announce his choice. The Republican National Convention is scheduled to begin in Milwaukee on July 15, followed by the Democratic National Convention in Chicago on Aug. 19.
Lafayette College said it respects the decision to cancel the debate. Lafayette College plans to continue hosting a variety of civic and arts events that were scheduled to coincide with the canceled vice presidential debate. While the debate will not be held in Easton, Lafayette College is in the national spotlight, according to a statement from the college.
“The University has worked for nine months to prepare for the vice presidential debate and has learned a great deal, and is well positioned to host events of considerable scale and complexity for years to come,” the statement said.
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Rudy Miller can be contacted at rmiller@lehighvalleylive.com.
