Major US News Organizations Urge Trump and Biden to Commit To Debate
Twelve major national news organizations penned a letter Sunday asking presumptive presidential nominees Joe Biden and Donald Trump to agree to participate in televised general election debates before voters go to the polls in November. “If there is one thing Americans can agree on during this polarized time, it is that the stakes of this election are exceptionally high,” wrote the organizations, which included ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN, FOX, and PBS. “Amidst that backdrop, 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,” the letter continued. Noting that debates “have a rich tradition” in American democracy and “played a vital role in every presidential election” over the past half-century, the signees urged the candidates to “publicly state their support for — and their intention to participate in” debates planned by the nonpartisan Commission on Presidential Debates, which currently has three contests scheduled for the months leading up to the election. The unusual demand comes as both candidates skirted debates …