President Trump’s campaign is pushing for a fourth debate with former Vice President Joe Biden, to be held in early September.
Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani, on behalf of Trump’s campaign, sent a letter to the Commission on Presidential Debates on Wednesday asking that an additional debate be scheduled ahead of the three others — before early ballots are cast.
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“The Commission’s current approach is an outdated dinosaur and not reflective of voting realities in 2020,” the letter read. “For a nation already deprived of a traditional campaign schedule because of the COVID-19 global pandemic, it makes no sense to also deprive so many Americans of the opportunity to see and hear the two competing visions for our country’s future before millions of votes have been cast.”
The campaign alternatively requested that the final presidential debate, scheduled Oct. 22, be moved to early September if the commission is unable to add a fourth debate date. The letter also included a list of potential moderator recommendations, ranging from Fox News anchors Bret Baier, Harris Faulkner, and Shannon Bream to conservative commentators Larry Elder, Saagar Enjeti, and Hugh Hewitt.
In the event that debate structures are altered due to the coronavirus, the letter asked the commission to establish backup locations for a debate that would not include an audience.
“Now that former Vice President Biden has finally confirmed he is indeed available to leave his basement for the fall debates, we are also requesting the Commission solidify its backup plans for debate locations and logistics in the event additional COVID-19 complications arise at any of the locations,” the letter read.
