PHOENIX (AP) — The nonpartisan Commission on Presidential Debates, which has planned presidential faceoffs in every election since 1988, has an uncertain future after President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump struck an agreement to meet on their own.
The Biden and Trump campaigns announced a deal Wednesday to meet for debates in June on CNN and September on ABC. Just a day earlier, Frank Fahrenkopf, chair of the Commission on Presidential Debates, had sounded optimistic that the candidates would eventually come around to accepting the commission’s debates.
“There’s no way you can force anyone to debate,” Fahrenkopf said in a virtual meeting of supporters of No Labels, which has continued as an advocacy group after it abandoned plans for a third-party presidential ticket. But he noted candidates have repeatedly toyed with skipping debates or finding alternatives before eventually showing up, though one was canceled in 2020 when Trump refused to appear virtually after he contracted COVID-19.
Messi in and Dybala out in Argentina squad for pre
UC president recommends UCLA pay Cal Berkeley $10 million per year for 6 years
The CDC issues a report about infections from stem
Colton Herta hopes to protect narrow points lead through IndyCar's biggest month
Hall of Fame outfielder Ken Griffey Jr. to lead Indianapolis 500 field in Corvette pace car
Pregnant Jenna Dewan shops for baby clothes in LA after accusing ex
Hall of Fame defensive back Jimmy Johnson dead at age 86
Ben Whishaw lights up the Croisette as he joins his co
Rockies break loose for 7 runs in the 4th inning, beat Giants 9
Britain's new bonkers EV: Callum Skye is an £80k electric buggy built in Warwickshire
Club World Cup: Why FIFA is facing pushback over US