Joe Biden’s presidential campaign has agreed to the three debate dates against Donald Trump proposed by the Commission on Presidential Debates, while the president continues to push for more.
The University of Michigan, which was set to hold the second debate, has pulled out of consideration because of concerns about the coronavirus, according to The Detroit Free Press.
The commission announced last fall the debates would be Sept. 29 at the University of Notre Dame in Indiana, Oct. 15 at the University of Michigan and Oct. 22 at Belmont University in Nashville. A vice presidential debate is scheduled Oct. 7 at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City.
“We hope that President Trump and Vice President (Mike) Pence will similarly indicate their willingness to participate,” Biden campaign manager Jen O’Malley Dillon wrote in the letter, a copy of which was provided to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “Joe Biden looks forward to facing Donald Trump in a multi-debate series that the American people have come to expect from their leaders; we hope that President Trump would not break that tradition or make excuses for a refusal to participate.”
Trump has reached out to former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani to help in his effort to schedule more debates with Biden. Fox News confirmed Giuliani joined Trump campaign manager Brad Parscale on a call last week with debate commission members.
Credit: AJC
Trump reportedly not only wants more debates but also an earlier start to the debate season.
The University of Michigan, according to CBS News, withdrew from holding its debate about concerns of having thousands of reporters, protesters and other attendees descending on Ann Arbor amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, rumored to be among those under consideration as Biden’s running mate, said she “would think very seriously about” trying to block Trump from hosting a rally there if he wanted to.
“We know that congregating without masks, especially at an indoor facility, is the worst thing to do in the midst of a global pandemic,” Whitmer said in an interview before Trump’s rally Saturday in Oklahoma. While conceding she wasn’t aware of the specific legal tools she had available to block a prospective Trump rally, Whitmer said, “I just know we have limitations on the number of people that can gather and that we’re taking this seriously.”
About the Author
