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.
Mohammad Mokhber: Who is Iran’s acting president?
'He's almost like a LEAGUE TWO player': Roy Keane slams Erling Haaland for his display in City's 0
David de Gea jokingly asks 'who' as he responds to former Man United team
Why US Catholics are planning pilgrimages in communities across the nation
ESTHER RANTZEN: I asked Mail readers to help me plan my funeral. Your choices
Dog severely burned and abandoned by owner in San Bernardino
Camilla wore very rare brooch to Easter Sunday service in touching nod to her mother
Rustle these up with Rosemary: Sun
The fightback begins: Boss of London's Queen Mary University tells pro
Queen Camilla, Princess Anne and Sarah Ferguson all don traditional spring shade