A group of twelve prominent US news organizations has issued a call for the presumptive presidential nominees to commit to participating in televised debates ahead of the November election.
The joint statement, released on Sunday, did not explicitly mention Joe Biden or Donald Trump but emphasized the importance of candidates publicly declaring their intention to engage in debates. Highlighting the significant stakes of this year’s election, the letter underscored the vital role of televised debates in American democracy, dating back to 1976.
Despite Trump’s absence from all four Republican primary debates, he has expressed eagerness to debate Biden. The statement was endorsed by major media outlets including the BBC’s US partner, CBS News, ABC, AP, CNN, C-SPAN, Fox News, NBCUniversal News Group, NewsNation, NPR, PBS NewsHour, Univision, and USA Today, stressing the irreplaceable value of candidates presenting their visions to the American public.
Both Biden and Trump have secured their nominations, with Biden becoming the presumptive Democratic nominee and Trump securing the Republican nomination despite avoiding the primary debates.
Trump, 77, has cast doubt on Biden’s ability to debate due to his age and purported forgetfulness, while Biden, 81, has reciprocated similar concerns about Trump. Last month, Trump expressed readiness to engage in a televised forum with Biden anytime, anywhere, and anyplace, but the White House has hesitated, citing concerns about the fairness of the debate administration.
While the televised debates are scheduled for September and October, Trump’s campaign has called for earlier and more debates than initially proposed, citing the increasing trend of early voting. The 2020 debates between Biden and Trump were marked by acrimony, with Trump’s repeated interruptions prompting Biden’s exasperated response, and NPR labeling one of the debates as possibly the worst in American history.