„As is the long-standing custom, and as has been promised by the Commission on Presidential Debates, we had expected that foreign policy would be the central focus of the October 22 debate,“ Trump campaign manager Bill Stepien said in a letter to the commission on Monday.
„We urge you to recalibrate the topics and return to subjects which had already been confirmed,“ Stepien wrote.
President Donald Trump‘s campaign accused the Commission on Presidential Debates of shifting the focus of Thursday‘s debate away from foreign policy in an effort to „insulate“ former Vice President Joe Biden „from his own history.“
„First, they tried to mess up the whole process with a virtual debate,“ Gidley told „The Story“ host Martha MacCallum.
„Then, all of a sudden, the last debate — which is typically about foreign policy, something we talked about with the commission early on when we agreed to the rules set forward … now what do you know?“
Announced Friday, the topics include, „Fighting COVID-19,“ „American Families,“ „Race in America,“ „Climate Change,“ National Security,“ and „Leadership.“
Speaking to Fox News on Sunday, Jason Miller, a Trump campaign senior adviser, called the debate‘s focus on foreign policy „perfect,“ pointing to what he said was Biden‘s support for „endless wars.“
NBC News’ Kristen Welker, who will moderate the next debate, announced on Monday the topics would cover Covid-19, American families, race in America, climate change, national security, and leadership.
The Commission on Presidential Debates has adopted new rules muting the microphones of President Trump and Democratic nominee Joe Biden to give them two minutes of uninterrupted time at the beginning of each debate segment.
The news of the rule change comes just three days before the final presidential debate between Trump and Biden in Nashville.
Yet the original design of the party-controlled general-election debate has slowly morphed from Republican Party-Democratic Party negotiation into something wholly different: a free-standing group of self-anointed, self-important Beltway Brahmins. Slowly but surely, the organization added staff, raised funds, expanded its “mission” and deepened its own sense of entitlement.
Joe Lieberman, former democrat vice presidential candidate and senator, spoke with Brian Kilmeade and criticized the Commission on Presidential Debate‘s decision to make the next debate virtual. Lieberman agrees with President Trump being upset over the decision and says he didn‘t think „to just decide“ was the way to make the announcement and that the people on the commission „have become very powerful and a little autocratic.“
Washington, D.C. (October 8, 2020) – In order to protect the health and safety of all involved with the second presidential debate, scheduled for October 15, 2020, The Commission on Presidential Debates (CPD) announced the following today:
The second presidential debate will take the form of a town meeting, in which the candidates would participate from separate remote locations.