In the US, 12 media organizations signed a joint statement calling on US President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump to face each other in live debates.
In a joint statement, media organizations including ABC, CBS, CNN, Fox, PBS, NBC, NPR and Associated Press (AP) invited Biden and Trump to the live debates organized by the Commission on Presidential Debates (CPD).
Describing the live debates as "a rich tradition that has been part of every general election since 1976", the media organizations argued that the candidates should appear before the public before the election and talk about the future of the country.
Biden and Trump debated in 2020, and one debate was canceled after Trump tested positive for Covid-19.
AN IMPORTANT ELEMENT OF THE TRADITION OF DEMOCRACY IN THE USA
The first televised presidential debate in the United States was held in 1960 between the Republican Party candidate, then US Vice President Richard Nixon, and the Democratic Party candidate, Senator John F. Kennedy.
In 1976, the Republican and Democratic Parties established the Commission on Presidential Debates to organize the presidential debates, decide on their format and the media outlets that would broadcast them. The Commission, which receives its income from independent donors and broadcasting fees from broadcasting organizations, sets the format and general rules for the debates.
