The Commission on Presidential Debates announced that it will add “additional structure” to the next two presidential debates following a flood of criticism after the first debate on Tuesday night.
The commission put out a statement on Wednesday afternoon, pledging vaguely that it would restructure the remaining debates to secure a “more orderly discussion.” The first debate between President Trump and Democratic candidate Joe Biden was partially defined by the chaotic way the candidates interrupted each other and spoke over Fox News anchor Chris Wallace, the debate moderator.
The commission said in a statement:
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 CPD will be carefully considering the changes that it will adopt and will announce those measures shortly. 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.
Many members of the media called to cancel the next two debates unless new restrictions were put in place governing the candidates’ speaking times. Many others simply made an unqualified call to cancel future debates. The Biden campaign has asserted the former vice president will attend the debates.
As The Daily Wire reports:
Media analysts and writers wrote articles late Tuesday night and early Wednesday morning echoing calls by network pundits calling on Biden to skip the next two presidential debates, or for the Commission on Presidential Debates to cancel them altogether.
MSNBC host Joe Scarborough called the debate a “disgrace” and said Biden “should participate in another debate.” CNN political analyst Joe Lockhart tweeted, “Debate Commission has to figure out how to get Trump to cooperate with the rules or just cancel the remaining debate.”
Staff writers at the The Atlantic, The Washington Post, Time Magazine, and Slate all published articles castigating the Tuesday night debate and pushing for the following debates to be canceled.
During the debate, Biden lashed out at Trump, calling the president a “clown” and a “racist,” and at one point telling him to “shut up” when the president challenged him on whether or not he would attempt to pack the Supreme Court if he should beat Trump in November. Biden has yet to say whether or not he would attempt to pack the court with liberal justices despite being pressed on the issue multiple times since the death of the Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg on Sept. 18.
Trump interrupted Biden and at one point slammed Wallace, alleging he was acting as another competitor in the debate, saying, “I guess I’m debating you, not him. But that’s okay.”
Trump later doubled-down on his debate point in a tweet after the event, saying, “Chris had a tough night. Two on one was not surprising, but fun. Many important points made, like throwing Bernie, AOC PLUS 3, and the rest, to the wolves! Radical Left is dumping Sleepy Joe. Zero Democrat enthusiasm, WEAK Leadership!”