Published 06:48 IST, June 23rd 2020
US: Team Biden rejects Trump camp's proposal for 4th debate, calls it a 'distraction'
Joe Biden's campaign manager Jen Dillon raised three points in a letter written to the bipartisan Commission of Presidential debates for November's elections
Presumptive Democratic frontrunner Joe Biden's campaign has agreed for three debates with US President Donald Trump ahead of the US Presidential Elections scheduled to take place later this year in November. Biden's campaign, however, rejected the proposal for a fourth debate, brushing it off as a 'distraction'.
Biden campaign confirms three debates on pre-decided dates and rules
In a letter submitted to the Commission on Presidential Debates, Biden's campaign manager Jen O’Malley Dillon wrote that the campaign, although not formally declared, will take part in three debates in September and October this year as per the Commission's planned dates on September 29, October 15 and October 22. Dillion added that Biden's Vice President candidate will also participate in the debate.
However, the Biden campaign specified that it will not be entertaining any requests for a fourth debate by the Trump campaign, calling it a distraction. "Any “debate proposals” in lieu of that are just an effort to change the subject, avoid debates, or create a distracting“ debate about debates," the statement read.
Biden campaign's letter also mentioned that it did not want to provide any reason to cancel the debate and thus asked the Commission to confirm plans for "debate arrangements if control measures threaten to impact the conduct of the debates as planned. There is no reason why Vice PresidentBiden and PresidentTrump cannot meet for debates with appropriate safety and social-distancing measures (set by public health authorities) on the three dates the CPD has identified. Nothing should prevent the conduct of debates between Joe Biden and DonaldTrump on these dates; again, we do not want to provide President Trump with any excuses for not debating."
Finally, the letter by Dillion specified that Biden's campaign is hoping for a Town Hall style debate following traditions since 1992 and ensure that the general public can attend the debate with all guidelines to prevent coronavirus being followed.
"During his primary campaign, VicePresidentBiden welcomed direct questions from uncommitted voters on a frequent basis, and we think it is time that President Trump faced such questioning himself. We know that voters have many, many questions for the President."
Earlier, Trump's campaign had requested the fourth debate citing an expected surge in mail and absentee voting this fall because of the coronavirus, a remarkable turnaround from the previous stance of not accepting and expecting voting-by-ballot.
Biden has not yet announced his running partner, with a number of candidates such as Elizabeth Warren, Val Demings, Kamala Harris, Keisha Lance Bottoms, in the race. Last week, Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar withdrew from the race and prompted the former Vice President to pick a woman of colour as his partner.
"I think this is a moment to put a woman of color on that ticket. If you want to heal this nation right now, my party, yes, but our nation, this is sure a hell of a way to do it," Klobuchar said.
Updated 06:48 IST, June 23rd 2020