Top U.S. news organizations collectively called upon both President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump to publicly commit to participating in presidential debates leading up to the November election.
In a joint statement, the twelve outlets emphasized the significant role debates have played in American democracy for over five decades.
The statement suggested that debates for the current election cycle should be sponsored by the nonpartisan Commission on Presidential Debates, as has been the tradition since 1988.
While it is premature to extend invitations to candidates, the organizations urged potential candidates to publicly declare their support for and intention to participate in the commission’s debates planned for the fall.
Nine major network television outlets, including ABC News, CBS News, NBCUniversal News Group, Fox, CNN, C-SPAN, PBS NewsHour, NewsNation, and Univision, signed the letter. The Associated Press, National Public Radio, and Gannett’s USA Today also joined the call for commitment to debates.
President Trump, who declined to participate in primary debates before securing the Republican nomination, has recently challenged Biden to engage in a one-on-one debate, expressing willingness to debate “anytime, anywhere, anyplace.”
His campaign advisers have urged an accelerated debate schedule, proposing more than the usual three events and an earlier start to the debates.
While Biden has not committed to debating Trump, he has not ruled it out either, citing concerns over Trump’s adherence to debate rules. Some of Biden’s advisors are wary of raising Trump’s status by sharing a debate stage with him.
