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.
Mystery artist who erected signs comparing pothole
Radiunova claims title during ladies figure skating in Kazakhstan
Chinese swimmer Wang wins men's 200m IM at Tokyo Olympics
Benitez's Dalian side held to draw by Shanghai Shenhua in Chinese Super League
Verona confirms Serie A status for another year after beating Salernitana
Chinese swimmer Wang wins men's 200m IM at Tokyo Olympics
Xi Meets Georgian Prime Minister
International flight launched between Karachi, Islamabad, Beijing
Analysis: Larson enters conversation with Verstappen as best drivers in the world
Domestic travel agencies suspend all tours to Israel
A warrant for Netanyahu’s arrest was requested. But no decision was made about whether to issue it
Muguruza beats Kuznetsova to advance at Wimbledon