‘Don’t Waste Your Time,’ RNC Tells Potential Debate Hosts

Mark Niquette
·2 min read
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(Bloomberg) -- The Commission on Presidential Debates is accepting applications from sites interested in hosting a 2024 general election presidential or vice-presidential debate, but the Republican National Committee is reminding applicants the party’s nominee won’t participate in forums hosted by the panel.

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“Don’t waste your time,” RNC Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel tweeted Monday. “The GOP nominee will not be participating in any debate put on by the biased and flawed CPD.”

The RNC changed its rules last year to prohibit its nominees from participating in debates sponsored by the nonpartisan commission after former President Donald Trump complained about moderators being unfair to him in 2020 and plans for candidates to appear remotely because of the coronavirus pandemic.

McDaniel said the RNC tried negotiating with the commission “to get fairness in the process,” including by changing the criteria for selecting debate moderators. The GOP “has a duty to ensure that its future presidential nominees have the opportunity to debate their opponents on a level playing field,” McDaniel wrote to the commission last year.

The commission has said it deals directly with candidates for president and vice president who qualify for participation in its general election debates, meaning the eventual nominee could still decide to participate.

The group said its plans for 2024 “will be based on fairness, neutrality, and a firm commitment to help the American public learn about the candidates and the issues.”

The RNC’s debate committee is scheduled to convene during the party’s annual winter meeting this week in California, where McDaniel is seeking reelection to a fourth term but is facing an unexpectedly strong challenge from attorney and RNC member Harmeet Dhillon.

The New York Times has reported that RNC officials have engaged in talks with television executives at networks including ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN and Fox News about hosting Republican presidential primary debates, probably beginning this summer.

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