Former President Donald Trump’s campaign has requested that this year’s general election debates be moved up earlier and additional debates be added to the schedule. Campaign managers Susie Wiles and Chris LaCivita sent a letter to the Commission on Presidential Debates advocating for an earlier start to the debates due to the early voting trend in recent elections. They emphasized Trump’s willingness to debate anytime, anywhere, and argued that the debates should begin sooner to allow more Americans to see the candidates before voting begins.
The first general election presidential debate is currently scheduled for September 16 in San Marcos, Texas, 50 days before Election Day on November 5. This timing is earlier than past election cycles, with the first debate between Trump and Joe Biden in 2020 taking place 35 days before Election Day and the debate between Trump and Hillary Clinton in 2016 happening 43 days before Election Day. The Trump campaign’s letter comes after major US television networks, including CNN, urged both Trump and Biden to commit to participating in pre-election debates.
RNC officials, including Chairman Michael Whatley and co-chair Lara Trump, criticized the current debate schedule, arguing that debates should not be scheduled after millions of Americans have already cast their ballots. The RNC voted in 2022 to withdraw from participating in the Commission on Presidential Debates, citing bias. Trump has played a significant role in reshaping the RNC, streamlining the party organization and appointing Whatley and Lara Trump to top positions. The Biden campaign, while not publicly committing to debating Trump, has not ruled it out, stating that it depends on Trump’s behavior.
The current debate schedule and the call for earlier debates highlight the ongoing discussion surrounding the importance of debates in the electoral process. Both campaigns are considering the optimal timing and format for debates leading up to the 2024 election. The dynamics of these debates, including the willingness of candidates to participate and the potential impact on voter engagement, are central to the election process. The role of the Commission on Presidential Debates and the broader media landscape in shaping the structure and timing of debates remains a topic of debate and conversation among political stakeholders. The decisions made regarding debates and their timing have implications for the overall electoral process and voter engagement in the upcoming election.
