US media push Biden and Trump for TV debate pledge
By Vicky Wong
A dozen US news outlets have called on the presumptive US presidential nominees to commit to taking part in TV debates ahead of November’s election.
The statement did not name Joe Biden or Donald Trump, but said it was never too early for candidates to publicly declare they will take part.
The letter warned the stakes of this year’s poll were “exceptionally high.”
Mr Trump, who skipped all four Republican primary debates, has said he is keen to debate President Biden.
The statement – published on Sunday – was signed by the BBC’s US partner, CBS News, as well as ABC, AP CNN, C-SPAN, Fox News, NBCUniversal News Group, NewsNation, NPR, PBS NewsHour, Univision and USA Today.
It said that televised debates have “a rich tradition” in US democracy, dating back to 1976, and that tens of millions of people tune in to watch.
“If there is one thing Americans can agree on during this polarized time, it is that the stakes of this election are exceptionally high,” the statement said, adding that there was “simply no substitute for the candidates debating with each other, and before the American people, their visions for the future of our nation.”
