ABC News, along with other leading broadcast and cable news networks, as well as major print, wire, and radio organizations, has written an open letter. The letter urges presidential candidates to make a public commitment to participating in televised debates before the general election.
The letter is signed by several major news organizations, including ABC News, CBS News, CNN, NBCUniversal News Group, and FOX News Media. It also has the support of The Associated Press, C-SPAN, NewsNation, Noticias Univision (Univision Network News), NPR, PBS NewsHour, and USA TODAY.
A letter published on Sunday calls on the presumptive presidential nominees to publicly commit to participating in general election debates before November’s election. The undersigned national news organizations emphasize the importance of this commitment as the contours of the 2024 general election become clearer.
Amid an election cycle filled with uncertainty, both President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump have cast doubt on the practice of debates, a long-standing tradition in American campaigns. In an unusual move, this skepticism has led to the cancellation of the presidential debates.
Trump, who chose not to participate in any of the four Republican National Committee-sanctioned 2024 primary election debates and withdrew from one of his three debates with Biden in 2020, has been actively encouraging Biden to take part in the three general debates scheduled for this fall. His campaign reiterated this stance on Sunday.
According to spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt, President Trump has been unequivocal in his willingness to engage in a debate with Joe Biden, emphasizing his readiness to do so at any time, in any location. Leavitt reiterated the call for Biden to also commit to participating in these debates.
The Biden campaign has raised concerns about the organization of these debates by the Commission on Presidential Debates. They have expressed their worry that the nonpartisan group, which has sponsored these events since the 1980s, has been unclear about their ability to conduct a “fair” debate with Trump.
In April 2022, the Republican National Committee made the unanimous decision to withdraw from the Commission on Presidential Debates.
The Biden campaign has chosen not to provide a comment in response to the latest letter, although President Biden has previously downplayed Trump’s enthusiasm to share the stage with him.
In February, Biden told reporters that if he were in his opponent’s position, he would also want to debate him because he believed his opponent had nothing else to do.
General election debates hold a strong tradition in American democracy, playing a crucial role in every presidential election over the past 50 years, starting from 1976. These debates have garnered millions of viewers, as the candidates engage in a spirited exchange of ideas, vying for the support of American citizens. The letter from media organizations emphasizes the significance of these debates and encourages their continuation.
The letter concludes by emphasizing that amidst the highly charged atmosphere of this polarized time, Americans can unanimously agree on one thing: the stakes of this election are exceptionally high. It highlights the importance of the candidates engaging in debates with one another and sharing their visions for the future of the nation before the American people.
During a press conference after his State of the Union address in March, Biden was asked if he would participate in a debate with Trump. In response, he told ABC News that his decision would ultimately depend on Trump’s behavior.
The Democratic National Committee, fully backing Biden, decided against holding any primary election debates this time around, despite the calls from his underdog rivals. It is worth noting that there has never been a case where an incumbent president participated in a primary debate, even when faced with notable primary contenders, since the inception of the first modern debate in 1948.
Trump’s campaign is actively pushing for more general election debates against Biden. In a letter sent to the Commission on Presidential Debates, senior campaign advisers of the former president emphasized the need for “much earlier” and “more” debates than what was originally proposed. They highlighted the fact that voting is starting earlier than ever before, underscoring the importance of providing ample opportunities for voters to see the candidates engage in substantive discussions.
“According to a letter written by top Trump campaign advisers Susie Wiles and Chris LaCivita, voting is now starting earlier than ever before. In fact, in the 2020 election, tens of millions of Americans had already cast their votes by the time of the first debate.”
The authors expressed their concerns about the Commission’s proposed 2024 calendar, stating that it is being presented too late. They highlighted the potential number of votes that Americans would have already casted by the time the proposed dates are implemented.
According to the two individuals, the debate commission allowed the Biden campaign’s request due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, resulting in a compromised and inadequate debate experience for the American people.
In 2020, there were only two debates featuring Biden and Trump. Unfortunately, a third scheduled debate had to be canceled when the former president decided not to participate. The cancellation came after the event was changed from an in-person gathering to a virtual one due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
Trump launched a scathing attack on the commission, firmly asserting that he would not entertain any of their proposed modifications aimed at implementing stricter rules and curbing interruptions during the forthcoming presidential debates.
In 2022, the RNC made the decision to refrain from participating in commission-sanctioned debates, requiring candidates to pledge against their involvement. The national party has maintained its stance on this matter.
The commission has revealed its schedule for the upcoming debates. The first debate is set to take place on Sep. 16 at Texas State University, followed by the second debate on Oct. 1 at Virginia State University. The third debate will be held on Oct. 9 at The University of Utah in Salt Lake City. Additionally, there will be a vice presidential debate on Sept. 25 at Lafayette College in Pennsylvania.
