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.
Uber and Lyft say they'll stay in Minnesota after Legislature passes driver pay compromise
Wealthy art collector's son, 25, accused of trying to murder live
How the geomagnetic storm that hit Earth last week could unleash wave of hurricanes
Burglar hurled stolen mobile phones at police from the top of 60ft high roof during nine
Navarro, Steffen propel Rapids to 1
New Kansas abortion clinic will open to help meet demand from restrictive neighboring states
Beaming Charles hobnobs with Tess Daly, Sir Lenny Henry and supermodel Rosie Huntington
The government wants to buy their flood
Fire at a residential building in Germany leaves 3 people dead and 2 with grave injuries
I was 'brokefished' by my friend for £400
Ogunbowale owns fourth quarter, Wings pull away from Sky 87