Next Presidential Debate Will See Improved Structure For ‘More Orderly Discussion,’ Says Commission
The Commission on Presidential Debates (CPD) has issued a statement that it is looking into changing the rules for future debates following Tuesday’s contentious first presidential performance between President Donald Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden.
The statement was originally sent out via email, and screenshots of the message quickly made its way to Twitter.
“The Commission on Presidential Debates sponsors televised debates for the benefit of the American electorate. Last night’s debate made clear that additional structure should be added to the format of the remaining debates to ensure a more orderly discussion of the issues,” the message began.
The email did not elaborate on which specific rules or changes were currently in discussion but pledged that the decision would be revealed soon. It remains to be seen whether the changes will be made by the upcoming vice presidential debate scheduled for October 7.
“The CPD will be carefully considering the changes that it will adopt and will announce those measures shortly,” it continued.
“The Commission is grateful to Chris Wallace for the professionalism and skill he brought to last night’s debate and intends to ensure that additional tools to maintain order are in place for the remaining debates,” it concluded.
The CPD had originally planned on having three debates between Biden and Trump that would each be 90 minutes in length, with the remaining two scheduled to take place on October 15 and October 22.
The message was released less than 24 hours after the completion of the first Trump vs. Biden debate. The 90-minute event was marred multiple interruptions from both candidates, and Wallace was forced to demand decorum at multiple points throughout the evening.
During the spectacle, many watchers took to social media to voice their discontent with the chaotic atmosphere, with many suggesting that microphones should be equipped with the mute option to avoid such scenarios in the future.
Why don’t they just mute the mic of the person not talking, there has to be rules
— Dave (@lildickytweets) September 30, 2020
In addition, Google searches that related to moving to Canada spiked during the broadcast, per The Inquisitr.
The CPD previously grabbed headlines after it refused to change the date of the first debate. Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, a staunch supporter of the current administration, had requested to push up the first debate so that the public could see a showdown between the two candidates before the start of early voting.
The CPD was established in 1987, and its inception was backed by both Democratic and Republican parties. The agency — which is a nonprofit, nonpartisan 501(c)3 organization — is in charge of the logistics and all research behind the events and has run all debates since 1988.
