ABC News, along with other major broadcast and cable news networks, as well as prominent wire, print, and radio organizations, has come together to write an open letter. The purpose of this letter is to request presidential candidates to make a public commitment to participating in televised debates leading up to the general election.
ABC News, along with CBS News, CNN, NBCUniversal News Group, and FOX News Media, has signed a letter along with The Associated Press, C-SPAN, NewsNation, Noticias Univision (Univision Network News), NPR, PBS NewsHour, and USA TODAY.
In a letter published on Sunday, national news organizations are urging the presumptive presidential nominees to publicly commit to participating in general election debates before the November election. “With the contours of the 2024 general election now coming into clear focus, we — the undersigned national news organizations — urge the presumptive presidential nominees to publicly commit to participating in general election debates before November’s election,” the letter states.
Amid an election cycle filled with uncertainty surrounding the practice of debates, a longstanding American campaign tradition, both President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump have taken an unusual move.
President Trump has made it abundantly clear that he is ready and willing to engage in a debate with Joe Biden at any given time, in any location, and under any circumstances. This unwavering stance is a testament to his commitment to open and robust discussions. In light of this, we urge Joe Biden to demonstrate his own commitment to a fair and substantive exchange of ideas by wholeheartedly agreeing to participate in these debates.
The Biden campaign has raised concerns about the way the debates are organized by the Commission on Presidential Debates. They have expressed that the nonpartisan group, which has been sponsoring 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 unanimously voted to withdraw from the Commission on Presidential Debates.
The Biden campaign chose not to provide a comment regarding the new letter, although the president has previously downplayed Trump’s eagerness to share the stage with him.
General election debates hold a significant place in our American democracy, as they have played a crucial role in every presidential election over the past five decades, starting from 1976. These debates have attracted millions of viewers, as they provide a platform for candidates to engage in a spirited exchange of ideas, vying for the votes of American citizens. The media organizations emphasized the importance of these debates in their letter.
The letter concludes by stating that amidst the highly polarized time, Americans can agree on one thing – the stakes of this election are exceptionally high. It emphasizes that there is no substitute for the candidates engaging in debates with each other and presenting 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 commit to engaging in a debate with Trump. In response, he told ABC News that his decision would depend on Trump’s behavior.
The Democratic National Committee, which fully supports Biden, chose not to hold any primary election debates this time around, despite the requests from his unlikely challengers. It is worth noting that there is no historical precedent for an incumbent president participating in a primary debate, even when facing prominent primary opponents. This holds true since the first modern debate took place in 1948.
Trump’s campaign continues to actively advocate for general election debates against Biden. In a letter addressed to the Commission on Presidential Debates, the senior campaign advisers of the former president emphasized the need for “much earlier” and “more” presidential debates than the original proposal. They highlighted the increasing trend of early voting, stating that it begins “earlier and earlier” each election cycle.
According to a letter written by top Trump campaign advisers Susie Wiles and Chris LaCivita, voting is commencing earlier and earlier. They highlighted that in 2020, tens of millions of Americans had already cast their votes before the first debate took place.
In their letter, they expressed their concern about the Commission’s proposed 2024 calendar, stating that it is coming too late. They also provided estimates of the number of votes that American citizens would have already cast by the dates currently being proposed.
According to them, the 2020 debate was not as effective as it could have been due to the acceptance of the Biden campaign’s request by the debate commission, which they believe limited the scope of the discussion.
In 2020, there were only two debates that featured Biden and Trump. However, a third debate scheduled to take place virtually due to COVID-19 was canceled when the former president decided not to participate.
Trump went on the offensive, criticizing the commission and asserting his refusal to accept any alterations aimed at enforcing rules and curbing interruptions during the upcoming presidential debates.
In 2022, the RNC made the decision to withdraw from commission-sanctioned debates and required candidates to pledge their non-participation. As of now, the national party has not altered its stance on this matter.
The commission has released its schedule for the upcoming debates. The first debate will 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, a vice presidential debate is scheduled for Sept. 25 at Lafayette College in Pennsylvania.
