A coalition of twelve prominent U.S. news organizations has collectively urged presumptive presidential nominees Joe Biden and Donald Trump to publicly commit to debating each other during the lead-up to the November 2024 election. The media outlets, which include major television networks, wire services, and print media, issued a joint statement on Sunday, emphasizing the vital role debates have played in every presidential election since 1976.
The statement, signed by ABC News, CBS News, NBCUniversal News Group, Fox, CNN, C-SPAN, PBS NewsHour, NewsNation, Univision, The Associated Press, National Public Radio, and USA Today, suggested that the debates for the current race be sponsored by the nonpartisan Commission on Presidential Debates, as has been the case since 1988. While acknowledging that it is too early for invitations to be extended to candidates, the news organizations stressed that it is not too early for those expecting to meet the eligibility criteria to publicly state their support for and intention to participate in the commission's planned debates.
The call for a commitment to debates comes amid uncertainty surrounding the candidates' willingness to engage in face-to-face matchups. While Trump, who did not participate in debates for the Republican nomination, has indicated a willingness to take on his 2020 rival, Biden has not committed to debating him again. When asked about the possibility of debating Trump on March 8, the Democratic president said, "it depends on his behavior," likely referring to the contentious nature of their previous encounters, particularly the first 2020 debate.
Trump's campaign managers, Susie Wiles and Chris LaCivita, sent a letter to the debates commission last week, calling for an accelerated debates timetable, holding more than the usual three events, and starting them earlier in the campaign cycle than usual. They cited the historic 1858 Illinois Senate debates between Abraham Lincoln and Stephen Douglas as a precedent, arguing that "certainly today's America deserves as much."
However, the Republican National Committee voted in 2022 to no longer participate in forums sponsored by the Commission on Presidential Debates. While the Trump campaign has not indicated whether it would adhere to that decision, it has expressed concerns about the fairness and impartiality of the commission's moderator selection, specifically citing the choice of then-Fox News host Chris Wallace in 2020.
The Biden campaign has declined to comment on the news organizations' letter, pointing to the president's earlier statement on the matter. The Trump campaign has not yet responded to the call for debates, although the former president held a rally in northeast Pennsylvania on Saturday, featuring a second lectern symbolizing Biden's alleged refusal to debate him.
The push for debates comes at a time when television news ratings are down significantly compared to the 2020 campaign, although factors such as cord-cutting and the pandemic-driven increased interest in news four years ago have also contributed to the decline. The absence of Democratic debates this presidential cycle and Trump's refusal to participate in the GOP forums have further dampened interest in the primary season.
As the 2024 presidential race heats up, the media coalition's call for debates serves as a reminder of the critical role these events play in informing the American electorate and fostering a robust democratic process. The joint statement underscores the high stakes of the upcoming election, asserting that "there is simply no substitute for the candidates debating with each other, and before the American people, their visions for the future of our nation."
