Fox, CNN and other major TV outlets urge Biden and Trump to commit to debates

A dozen major news agencies, including Fox News and CNN, released a statement on Sunday urging the presumptive presidential nominees – President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump – to publicly commit to participating in pre-election debates.

"With the contours of the 2024 general election now coming into clear focus, we – the undersigned national news organizations – urge the presumptive presidential nominees to publicly commit to participating in general election debates before November’s election," the news agencies said. 

Both Biden and Trump secured enough delegates last month to earn their party's nomination, but neither will be officially confirmed until their party's national convention.

Every presidential election since 1976 has seen debates, the news networks said in the statement.

The nonpartisan Commission on Presidential Debates has announced dates and criteria for the 2024 debates, and while "it is too early for invitations to be extended to any candidates, it is not too early for candidates who expect to meet the eligibility criteria to publicly state their support for – and their intention to participate in – the Commission’s debates planned for this fall," the news agencies said. 

Neither Biden nor Trump participated in 2024 primary debates. 

The statement was also signed by ABC News, The Associated Press, CBS News, C-SPAN, NBCUniversal News Group, News Nation, Noticias Univision (Univision Network News), NPR, PBS NewsHour, and USA Today.

The Commission on Presidential Debates already scheduled three presidential debates and one vice presidential debate in November 2023. The first presidential debate is set for Sept. 16, 2024, in Texas, with the next two scheduled in October in Virginia and Utah. The vice presidential debate is scheduled for Sept. 25, 2024, in Pennsylvania.

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