Trump Trashes ‘Very Biased’ Debate Commission, Hints At Alternatives For 2020

President Trump on Monday slammed the Commission on Presidential Debates, which he says is “stacked with Trump Haters & Never Trumpers” and were “forced to publicly apologize for modulating my microphone in the first debate against Crooked Hillary.”

In a trio of Monday tweets, Trump said “I look very much forward to debating whoever the lucky person is who stumbles across the finish line in the little watched Do Nothing Democrat Debates,” however he suggested that instead of going through the “very biased Commission,” he may explore other options – including “doing them directly” in order to avoid the commission’s “nasty politics.”

….The problem is that the so-called Commission on Presidential Debates is stacked with Trump Haters & Never Trumpers. 3 years ago they were forced to publicly apologize for modulating my microphone in the first debate against Crooked Hillary. As President, the debates are up…

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 16, 2019

….to me, and there are many options, including doing them directly & avoiding the nasty politics of this very biased Commission. I will make a decision at an appropriate time but in the meantime, the Commission on Presidential Debates is NOT authorized to speak for me (or R’s)!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 16, 2019

In 2016, Trump argued that debate organizers “gave me a defective mic” – a claim which Hillary Clinton mocked as an excuse to cover for a poor debate performance. The commission later acknowledged, however, that there had been “technical issues” with Trump’s audio “that affected the sound level in the debate hall.”  

While Trump made clear that he looks “very much forward to debating,” the New York Times‘ Maggie Haberman suggested last week that Trump is privately discussing the possibility of sitting out the general election debates in 2020 over the commission.

According to The Hill, the Commission on Presidential Debates has already announced the dates and locations for three general election debates next year – the first of which is slated for Sept. 29, 2020. One Vice Presidential debate is also on the calendar.