The Commission on Presidential Debates has responded to criticism from the Trump campaign regarding its 2024 debate schedule. The nonpartisan entity, which announced the dates and locations for three debates late last year, defended its timeline against claims of being "unacceptable" by Trump campaign officials. The CPD stated that its sole mission is to sponsor and produce general election debates that inform and educate the public, emphasizing that the schedule is designed with this mission in mind.
The first debate is scheduled for September 16 at Texas State University in San Marcos, Texas. Trump's campaign previously stated that the commission's schedule does not begin "until after millions of Americans will have already cast their ballots." However, the CPD highlighted that the overwhelming majority of states will not have started mailing out absentee ballots by the first debate, with most states beginning to send them within a month and a half of the election.
The CPD stated that it considered multiple factors, including religious and federal holidays, early voting, and state ballot closure dates, in selecting debate dates to make them accessible to the American public. It noted that September 16 was chosen after a comprehensive study of early voting rules in every state, making it the earliest televised general election debate ever held.
In response to the CPD's statement, Trump's co-campaign managers reiterated their criticism, stating their commitment to making debates happen with or without the Presidential Debate Commission. President Joe Biden expressed his willingness to debate Trump, while the former president, who skipped all 2024 GOP primary debates, later posted on social media about his eagerness to debate, emphasizing his readiness to do so "anywhere, anytime, anyplace."