Commission rejects Trump push for add debate against Biden

npartisan Commission on Presidential Debates has rejected a request from Trump campaign to eir add an additional general election debate or move up calendar for contests.

In a letter to Trump private attorney Rudy Giuliani, his liaison to commission, commission writes that it is committed to its existing schedule of three debates between Trump and his Democratic challenger, Joe Biden, saying it would consider adding a fourth debate only if both sides agree to it.

“If candidates were to agree that y wished to add to that schedule, Commission would consider that request but remains committed to schedule of debates it has planned as reflected in attached release,” commission wrote in a letter obtained by Associated Press.

Giuliani wrote to debate commission Wednesday requesting that schedule be moved up on account of expanded early and mail voting because of coronavirus pandemic. Trump’s campaign has highlighted that 16 states will have started voted by time of first scheduled debate on Sept. 29.

“re is a difference between ballots having been issued by a state and those ballots having been cast by voters, who are under compulsion to return ir ballots before debates,” commission responded.

“While more people will likely vote by mail in 2020, debate schedule has been and will be highly publicized,” commission said. “Any voter who wishes to watch one or more debates before voting will be well aware of that opportunity.”

Giuliani, in his te, supplied a list of suggested moderators for debates. commission wrote that it will “adhere to our longstanding procedure of selecting debate moderators. It will do so with great care, as always, to ensure that selected moderators are qualified and fair.”