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. |
Put away your phoneIt wasn't me, Rylan Clark insists after police release eBeyonce's mom Tina Knowles eviscerates Charles Barkley and Shaq for calling Texas' beaches 'dirty'17th Chinese Bridge language competition held in BulgariaAustralia invest $599 million to financially support women, children escaping violenceEgyptian, Chinese students mark UN Chinese Language Day in CairoRockies become first to team to trail in opening 29 games, waste 5Sam Fender drops a major hint about his upcoming third studio albumEmerging trends for upcoming May Day holidayLele Pons reveals she was attacked by pit bull while defending her dog from being mauled