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. |
Israelis mark a subdued Independence Day under the shadow of war in GazaEPL says Everton still 'in discussions' with 777 as scrutiny ramps up on US firmHarry 'deeply stung' by King Charles' 'snub' after monarch was 'too busy' to see the Duke on whistleGOP legislative leaders want Democrats to drop Minnesota ERA as part of sessionPutin signs decree naming new Russian government, including replacement of defense ministerPolice are still searching a suspect in the fatal shooting of a University of Arizona studentMAUREEN CALLAHAN: It's the MeInnovation, investment urged to win global AI raceCanada wildfires: More people are being told to leave area of western Canada as fire growsTikTok content creators sue the US government over law that could ban the popular platform