Republican Party signals its intention to withdraw from US presidential debates | Republicans | Today Headlines
Republican Party signals its intention to withdraw from US presidential debates | Republicans
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The Republican Party has signaled its intention to withdraw from traditional presidential debates in the United States, which it says are biased against it.
The New York Times first reported the decision, citing a letter sent Thursday by the Republican National Committee (RNC) to the Presidential Debates Commission (CPD).
The commission was established in 1987 as a non-partisan body “to ensure, for the benefit of the American electorate, that general election debates between or among the principal candidates for president and vice president … of the electoral process ”.
In the last election, in 2020, Donald Trump made headlines with an aggressive performance in the first debate, in Cleveland, Ohio.
The second debate was called off after Trump was hospitalized with Covid-19 and the CPD sought to move the event online. Trump and the Republicans protested that it would help Joe Biden.
The final debate took place in Nashville, TN as scheduled, with Biden being widely declared the winner. A vice-presidential debate between Mike Pence and Kamala Harris also took place in Salt Lake City.
In December of this year, the Guardian first revealed the astonishing news that Trump had tested positive for Covid before the first debate but withheld the result, potentially putting Biden’s life in danger.
Trump said it was fake news. Much like its former Chief of Staff Mark Meadows – who wrote the book that contained the bomb.
The Times said the Republican move against the CPD was born out of long-standing complaints that it favors Democrats, “reflecting the conservatives’ growing resentment towards Washington-based institutions.”
Among the Republicans’ complaints in 2020 was the fact that the first debate took place on September 29, more than a month before election day but after nearly a million votes had been cast.
Trump and Republicans also complained about alleged bias among debate moderators – even from Chris Wallace, then of the conservative Fox News network, in the first debate.
Trump remains the frontrunner to be the Republican candidate in 2024.
The threat to withdraw from CPD debates, according to the Times, follows “months of discussions between the committee and party officials.”
David Bossie, a longtime right-wing agent with close ties to Trump, is reportedly leading the RNC on the issue, seeking among other goals to include political representatives in CPD board meetings.
The withdrawal will need to be approved at the RNC’s winter meetings in Utah in February, the Times said.
In her letter, according to the Times, RNC President Ronna McDaniel said: “As long as the CPD appears determined to block the meaningful reforms necessary to restore its credibility with the Republican Party as a fair and non-partisan actor, the RNC will take all measures to ensure that future Republican presidential candidates have this opportunity elsewhere. “
In a statement, the CPD said it “deals directly with presidential and vice-presidential candidates who qualify to participate,” and said “plans for 2024 will be based on fairness. , neutrality and a strong commitment to helping the American public learn more about the nominees and the issues ”.
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