Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton turned down an invitation to participate in a Fox News debate, an event that her rival Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders agreed to attend. Instead, the campaign said it believes its time will be “best spent” preparing for the coming general election.
“We have declined Fox News’ invitation to participate in a debate in California,” said Clinton campaign spokesman Jennifer Palmieri in a statement. “As we have said previously, we plan to compete hard in the remaining primary states, particularly California, while turning our attention to the threat a Donald Trump presidency poses. We believe that Hillary Clinton’s time is best spent campaigning and meeting directly with voters across California and preparing for a general election campaign that will ensure the White House remains in Democratic hands.”
Sanders responded to Clinton’s “unwillingness to debate before the largest and most important primary in the presidential nominating process,” saying he is “disappointed but not suprised.”
“The state of California and the United States face some enormous crises. Democracy, and respect for the voters of California, would suggest that there should be a vigorous debate in which the voters may determine whose ideas they support. I hope Secretary Clinton reconsiders her unfortunate decision to back away from her commitment to debate,” Sanders said in a statement.
“I also would suggest that Secretary Clinton may want to be not quite so presumptuous about thinking that she is a certain winner. In the last several weeks, the people of Indiana, West Virginia and Oregon have suggested otherwise,” he added.
Sanders, who trails Clinton by a hefty delegate margin heading into the final month of the primary season, has pressed for more debates. The last debate was held in Brooklyn, N.Y., back in mid-April.
Sanders campaign manager Jeff Weaver said Clinton “balked” at keeping a pledge she made in January when both campaigns agreed to a California debate in May.
“Both campaigns have been invited by Fox News to a debate. We have told the network that we would accept the invitation with the understanding that we can reach mutual agreement on the debate moderators, the format and other details,” Weaver said in a statement last week when the senator accepted the invitation.
California’s Democratic primary will be held on June 7.
