News organizations try to get commitments from Trump and Biden about 2024 presidential debates

A group of 12 news organizations tried Sunday to get President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump to commit to attending presidential debates before the 2024 election, but they were at least partly unsuccessful in their efforts.

Trump has said he would debate Biden and cited the seven Lincoln-Douglas debates in 1858 as a model. “Certainly, today’s America deserves as much,” the campaign stated.

Biden has not committed to any debates against Trump. He only said, "It depends on his behavior," recalling Trump's boorishness in 2020 to the point that Biden said during one debate, "Will you please shut up?"

Trump and Biden had two debates in 2020, but a third was canceled after Trump tested positive for COVID-19 and said he would not debate remotely.

Trump did complain that with early voting, the three debates set by The Commission on Presidential Debates would occur after many people had already voted.

Those dates are Sept. 16, Oct. 1 and Oct. 8.