A coalition of the leading broadcast and cable news networks, alongside prominent wire, print, and radio outlets, issued a joint statement on Sunday calling on the 2024 presidential candidates to commit to participating in the general election debates.
The collective statement was signed by prominent media entities including ABC News, the Associated Press, CBS News, CNN, C-SPAN, Fox News Media, NBCUniversal News Group (encompassing NBC News and MSNBC), NewsNation, Noticias Univision (Univision Network News), NPR, PBS NewsHour, and USA Today.
“As we edge closer to the 2024 general election, we, the undersigned national news organizations, implore the presumptive presidential nominees to publicly declare their willingness to engage in general election debates prior to the November election,” the statement emphasized.
Highlighting the importance of these debates, the networks noted, “General election debates have played a pivotal role in our democracy over the past 50 years, starting in 1976. Each of these events has drawn tens of millions of viewers who tune in to see candidates present their ideas directly to the electorate.”
Despite participating in none of the Republican primary debates in 2023 and 2024, former President and now presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump has expressed eagerness to debate President Joe Biden in the upcoming general election. However, the Biden campaign has yet to make a firm commitment, with President Biden commenting at the State of the Union in March that his decision “depends on his behavior.”
The statement also referenced the role of the nonpartisan Commission on Presidential Debates, which has been organizing presidential debates since 1988. “The Commission has set the dates, times, and eligibility criteria for the 2024 debates. While it is still too early to extend invitations, it is appropriate for candidates who anticipate meeting the eligibility requirements to express their support for and intent to participate in these debates,” the letter articulated.
Concluding with a call for unity, the media groups asserted, “In these divided times, if there is one consensus among Americans, it is the high stakes of this election. There is simply no substitute for having the candidates debate each other and present their visions for the future of our nation directly to the American public.”