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lite.cnn.com - on gopher - inofficial | |
ARTICLE VIEW: | |
Trump campaign managers criticize Commission on Presidential Debates | |
for sticking to original debate schedule | |
By Kate Sullivan, CNN | |
Updated: | |
6:39 PM EDT, Wed May 1, 2024 | |
Source: CNN | |
campaign managers on Tuesday criticized the Commission on Presidential | |
Debates after the commission told it would stick to its original debate | |
schedule despite calls from the Trump campaign to move the dates | |
earlier and add more debates. | |
Trump campaign managers Chris LaCivita and Susie Wiles said in a | |
statement they were extending an invitation to “every television | |
network in America that wishes to host a debate,” and called on | |
campaign to coordinate with them to set up a debate “as soon as | |
possible.” | |
For weeks, Republicans debates between Trump and Biden to take | |
place, and as early as possible. | |
“The Presidential Debate Commission’s schedule does not begin until | |
after millions of Americans will have already cast their ballots. This | |
is unacceptable, and by refusing to move up the debates, they are doing | |
a grave disservice to the American public who deserve to hear from both | |
candidates before voting begins,” the statement from LaCivita and | |
Wiles reads. | |
“President Trump has stated he will debate Joe Biden anytime, | |
anywhere, anyplace, and Joe Biden himself just agreed to debate. We | |
are committed to making this happen with or without the Presidential | |
Debate Commission,” they added. “We extend an invitation to every | |
television network in America that wishes to host a debate, and we once | |
again call on Joe Biden’s team to work with us to set one up as soon | |
as possible. The American people deserve it.” | |
The commission defended its debate schedule in a statement on | |
Wednesday. “The first debate, scheduled for September 16, will be the | |
earliest televised general election debate ever held,” the commission | |
said. “As it always does, the CPD considered multiple factors in | |
selecting debate dates in order to make them accessible by the American | |
public. These factors include religious and federal holidays, early | |
voting, and the dates on which individual states close their | |
ballots.” | |
The commission added: “The CPD purposefully chose September 16 after | |
a comprehensive study of early voting rules in every state.” | |
The commission Tuesday that it was sticking to its original schedule | |
and said, “The CPD’s criteria […] will be applied in early | |
September; afterward, the Commission will extend debate invitations to | |
qualifying candidates.” | |
“The CPD is proceeding with production and broadcast plans at its | |
four debate sites as also announced on November 20, 2023,” the | |
statement from the commission reads, according to Fox News. | |
The Republican National Committee has been encouraging surrogates to | |
push for Biden to debate Trump in televised interviews. And Trump and | |
his team have issued multiple statements making near carbon copy | |
arguments about how the former president is ready to debate Biden | |
anytime anywhere. | |
The subtext of these calls points to the contrast Trump and Republicans | |
are hoping to make with Biden: that the former president is energetic | |
and willing to stand on stage while Biden is less so. | |
But Biden recently said in an interview with Howard Stern that | |
Previously, he has equivocated, saying it would depend on the former | |
president’s behavior. | |
Trump has had an uneven history with debates since emerging on the | |
presidential campaign scene. There have been moments, like in 2016, | |
when he was eager to debate his rivals. In the 2024 Republican primary, | |
though, the GOP front-runner skipped every debate and still ended up | |
clinching the party nomination. | |
Two years ago, the RNC voted decisively to withdraw from debates hosted | |
by the Committee on Presidential Debates after months of then-chair | |
Ronna McDaniel lobbying the committee to make changes to the debates in | |
response to complaints by Trump. | |
This story has been updated Wednesday with a statement from the | |
Commission on Presidential Debates. | |
CNN’s Rashard Rose and Daniel Strauss contributed to this report. | |
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