PHOENIX (AP) — The nonpartisan Commission on Presidential Debates, which has planned presidential showdowns in every election since 1988,…
PHOENIX (AP) – The bipartisan Commission on Presidential Debates, which has planned a presidential showdown in every election since 1988, is uncertain about its future after President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump agreed to meet independently. is opaque.
The Biden and Trump campaigns announced Wednesday that they have agreed to hold debates in June on CNN and September on ABC. Just the day before, Frank Fahrenkopf, chairman of the Commission on Presidential Debates, had expressed optimism that candidates would eventually accept the commission's debates.
“You can't force a discussion on someone,” Fahrenkopf said at a virtual meeting of supporters of No Labels, an advocacy group that has continued to operate after abandoning plans to run for president as a third-party candidate. mentioned in. But he has repeatedly seen candidates skip debates or find alternatives before finally attending, including in 2020 after President Trump contracted COVID-19. He noted that the debate was canceled because he refused to attend virtually.
In reaching their own agreement, Mr. Biden and Mr. Trump did not participate in the commission, which was meant to set neutral rules and provide a forum that would be broadcast simultaneously on all major networks.
The commission indicated in a statement Wednesday that it had no immediate intention to abandon the plan.
The committee was “established in 1987 with the specific purpose of ensuring that such discussions occur and reach the widest television, radio and streaming audiences,” the statement said. “Our 2024 venues, all locations of higher education, are ready to host debates on dates chosen to accommodate early voters. We continue to execute on this plan. I'll make preparations.”
Representatives of the commission did not respond to requests for further comment.
Both the Biden and Trump campaigns have criticized the commission's plans, including dates set for September and October, as voters have already begun voting by mail in many states. was.
Fahrenkopf said Tuesday that he had not spoken to representatives of either Biden or Trump. All the while, the camps were moving closer to their respective agreements. However, he generally defended the importance of televised debates.
“You can learn a lot about a candidate's personality,” Fahrenkopf said. “It's not just about where they stand on issues, it's not just about how they act and how you feel about their actions.”
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