January 1, RNC Threatens to Block GOP Nominees from Presidential Debates

The Republican National Committee (RNC) sent a letter to the Commission on Presidential Debates (CPD) threatening to block future GOP nominees from official debates if it fails to make “meaningful reforms.”

“So long as the CPD appears intent on stonewalling the meaningful reforms necessary to restore its credibility with the Republican Party as a fair and nonpartisan actor, the RNC will take every step to ensure that future Republican presidential nominees are given that opportunity elsewhere,” RNC chair Ronna McDaniel wrote.

“Accordingly, the RNC will initiate the process of amending the Rules of the Republican Party at our upcoming Winter Meeting to prohibit future Republican nominees from participating in CPD-sponsored debates,” she added. 

According to the New York Times, who first reported the move, the GOP has long accused the CPD of favoring Democrats. The nonprofit CPD has described itself as nonpartisan.

Per the letter, the RNC first began its discussions with the debate commission’s co-chair, Frank Fahrenkopf, in June 2021.

“The RNC wrote to the CPD [in June] outlining its serious missteps and the partisan actions of its board members, explaining that these actions have damaged the RNC’s faith that the CPD can provide a fair and impartial forum for presidential debates,” McDaniel wrote.

The CPD responded to the allegations of bias in a statement to Axios.

“The CPD’s plans for 2024 will be based on fairness, neutrality and a firm commitment to help the American public learn about the candidates and the issues,” the commission wrote.

“The RNC has shared our concerns with the CPD in good faith, carefully documenting why the party and its voters have lost faith in your organization, and we have proposed commonsense reforms that would restore trust in the debates process,” the committee said, adding, “Unfortunately, neither the tone nor substance of your latest response inspires confidence that the CPD will meaningfully address the serious issues which the RNC has raised.”

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RNC threatens to block candidates from participating in official debates