President Biden and former President Donald Trump have agreed to officially debate, however, Biden’s team has set forth specific conditions for the debate to take place.
Trump extended an open invitation to debate at any time and place, which Biden accepted by challenging Trump in a video posted on social media. Along with this challenge, Biden’s campaign sent a letter to the Commission on Presidential Debates (CPD) outlining certain restrictions for the debate.
No Audience
The Biden campaign criticized the CPD for turning debates into “huge spectacles with large audiences” in their letter.
According to the new rules set by the Biden campaign, the debates between Trump and Biden must occur in a television studio with only the candidates and the moderator present.
Candidate mics must mute after time expires
The campaign emphasized that the debates should be focused on American voters watching on television and at home, rather than being entertainment for an in-person audience. They believe that a television studio setting with just the candidates and moderators is a more effective and cost-efficient way to conduct the debates, solely for the benefit of voters.
No RFK Jr. or any other 3rd-party candidate
Another key demand from the Biden campaign is that the debate must be strictly between the two main candidates, excluding any third-party candidates like Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., who has been shown to attract more Democratic voters than Republican ones, posing a significant threat to Biden.
Presidents Trump and Biden are colluding to lock America into a head-to-head match-up that 70% say they do not want.
— Robert F. Kennedy Jr (@RobertKennedyJr) May 15, 2024
They are trying to exclude me from their debate because they are afraid I would win. Keeping viable candidates off the debate stage undermines democracy.…
Limited news outlets
President Biden’s debate demands a limit on which outlets can host a discussion for the 2024 election. (Eric Thayer/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
The campaign insists that the debates should be one-on-one, allowing voters to compare the only two candidates with a realistic chance of winning in the Electoral College, without wasting time on other candidates.
