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.
Six killed in a 'foiled coup' in Congo, the army says
Summer Vacation Campaign of Caring for Children Launched
China's NCPA to present opera by Richard Wagner
ACWF Donates Masks to Iran, Japan and Republic of Korea
Kristin Cavallari, 37, ignores critics of her age
ACWF President Calls for Promoting China's COVID
SCO Children's Online Art Exhibition Opens
China to launch law popularization campaign aimed at rural women
Young Boys seals 6th Swiss soccer league title in 7 years after rallying from firing coach Wicky
ACWF President Calls on Teachers to Pass on China's COVID
The government wants to buy their flood
ACWF Holds 2nd Session of 12th Executive Committee Meeting in Beijing