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2020 United States presidential debates

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2020 United States presidential debates
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The 2020 United States presidential debates between the major candidates in the 2020 United States presidential election are being sponsored by the Commission on Presidential Debates (CPD). Three debates between the presidential candidates are scheduled to take place on September 29, October 15, and October 22, 2020. One debate between the vice presidential candidates is scheduled to take place on October 7, 2020.[1]

Debates sponsored by the Commission on Presidential Debates

On October 11, 2019, the Commission on Presidential Debates announced that it would host four debates. Three of the four presidential debates will be between incumbent president Donald Trump, Democratic nominee and former Vice President Joe Biden, and any other participants that qualify. One debate will be a vice presidential debate between incumbent vice president Mike Pence, Democratic vice presidential nominee Kamala Harris, and any third party candidates that meet the criteria.[2][1]

In late 2019, Trump claimed that the 2016 debates were "biased." After meeting with his campaign manager, the commission co-chairman said that "the president wanted to debate, but they had concerns about whether or not to do it with the commission."[3] Trump did not press the issue further publicly. Trump also requested additional debates to the traditional three, which Biden's campaign declined.[4] At the end of June, representatives of the Biden campaign confirmed that they had agreed to the original schedule.[5]

In August, the CPD rejected a request by the Trump campaign to shift the debates to an earlier date, or to add a fourth debate.[6]

On August 27, Democrat Nancy Pelosi, Speaker of the House of Representatives, suggested that Biden should skip the debates, claiming that Trump will "probably act in a way that is beneath the dignity of the presidency". Biden responded by saying that he wants to go ahead and participate so that he can "be a fact-checker on the floor while I'm debating [Trump]".[7]

Qualification of candidates

In order to qualify for the debates sponsored by the Commission on Presidential Debates, presidential candidates must meet the following criteria; vice-presidential candidates qualify by being the running mate of a qualifying presidential candidate:[8]

  • Be constitutionally eligible to hold the presidency.
    • Be at least 35 years old as of taking office.
    • Be a natural-born citizen of the United States and have been a resident of the United States for fourteen years as of taking office.
    • Be otherwise eligible under the Constitution.
      • Article I, Section 3, Clause 7, gives the U.S. Senate the option of forever disqualifying anyone convicted in an impeachment case from holding any federal office.[9]
      • Section 3 of the 14th Amendment prohibits anyone who swore an oath to support the Constitution, and later rebelled against the United States, from becoming president. However, this disqualification can be lifted by a two-thirds vote of each house of Congress.[10]
      • The 22nd Amendment prohibits anyone from being elected to the presidency more than twice (or once if the person serves as president or acting president for more than two years of a presidential term to which someone else was originally elected).[11][12]
  • Appear on a sufficient number of ballots to have a mathematical possibility of winning a majority vote in the Electoral College.
  • Have a level of support of at least 15% of the national electorate as determined by five national public opinion polling organizations selected by the commission, using the average of those organizations' most recently reported results at the time of determination. The five polls were chosen with the advice of Frank Newport of Gallup, based on how Frank and the Commission perceived these criteria:[13]

Debate list

Three presidential debates and one vice presidential debate have been scheduled:[14]

2020 United States presidential election debates
 No. Date & Time Host Location Moderator Participants
Key:
 P  Participant.     N  Non-invitee.     		Republican Democratic
President
Donald Trump
of Florida 		Former Vice President
Joe Biden
of Delaware

1
 
Tuesday, September 29, 2020
9:00–10:30 pm EDT[15]
Case Western Reserve University
Cleveland, Ohio
Chris Wallace
 P P

2
 
Thursday, October 15, 2020
9:00–10:30 pm EDT[15]
Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts
  Miami, Florida  
Steve Scully
 P P

3
 
Thursday, October 22, 2020
9:00–10:30 pm EDT[15]
Belmont University
Nashville, Tennessee
Kristen Welker
 P P
2020 United States vice presidential debate
 No. Date & Time Host Location Moderator Participants
Key:
 P  Participant.     N  Non-invitee.   		Republican Democratic
Vice President
Mike Pence
of Indiana 		Senator
Kamala Harris
of California

VP
 
Wednesday, October 7, 2020
7:00–8:30 pm MDT[15]
University of Utah
Salt Lake City, Utah
Susan Page
 P P

First presidential debate (Case Western Reserve University)

First presidential debate
Date(s)September 29, 2020 (2020-09-29)
VenueHealth Education Campus (HEC) Samson Pavilion at Case Western Reserve University
LocationCleveland, Ohio
ParticipantsDonald Trump
Joe Biden
Moderator(s)Chris Wallace of Fox News
Websitemy.clevelandclinic.org/debate

The first debate is scheduled to be held on Tuesday, September 29, 2020, at 9:00–10:30 pm local time at the Samson Pavilion of the Health Education Campus (HEC), which is shared by Case Western Reserve University and Cleveland Clinic in Cleveland.[16][17] Chris Wallace of Fox News will moderate the first debate.[18]

This debate was originally scheduled to take place in the Phillip J. Purcell Pavilion located within the Edmund P. Joyce Center at the University of Notre Dame in Indiana, but Notre Dame withdrew as a host site on July 27, 2020, due to concerns stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic.[16][19]

President
Donald Trump
Florida
Former Vice president Joe Biden
Delaware

Format

The first presidential debate will be divided into six segments, each of approximately 15 minutes in length, with the moderator introducing a topic and giving each candidate two minutes, followed by facilitated discussion between the two candidates, with both candidates receiving approximately equal time.

Debate topics will include: "Trump's and Biden’s records, the Supreme Court, the coronavirus pandemic, race and violence in cities, election integrity, and the economy".[20]

Vice presidential debate (University of Utah)

Vice presidential debate
Date(s)October 7, 2020 (2020-10-07)
VenueKingsbury Hall at University of Utah
LocationSalt Lake City, Utah
ParticipantsMike Pence
Kamala Harris
Moderator(s)Susan Page of USA Today
Websitedebate2020.utah.edu

The vice presidential debate is scheduled to take place on Wednesday, October 7, 2020 at 7:00–8:30 pm local time at Kingsbury Hall at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City.[21] Susan Page of USA Today will moderate the vice presidential debate.[18]

Vice president
Mike Pence
Indiana
Senator Kamala Harris
California

Second presidential debate (Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts)

Second presidential debate
Date(s)October 15, 2020 (2020-10-15)
VenueAdrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts
LocationMiami, Florida
ParticipantsDonald Trump
Joe Biden
Moderator(s)Steve Scully of C-SPAN
Websitewww.arshtcenter.org

The second debate is scheduled to take place on Thursday, October 15, 2020 9:00–10:30 pm local time, at the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts in Miami.

This debate had originally been scheduled to be held at the Crisler Center at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan, but the University of Michigan withdrew as a host on June 23, 2020, over public health concerns stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic.[22][23] Steve Scully of C-SPAN will moderate the debate. This debate will be in the town hall meeting format.[18]

Third presidential debate (Belmont University)

Third presidential debate
Date(s)October 22, 2020 (2020-10-22)
VenueCurb Event Center at Belmont University
LocationNashville, Tennessee
ParticipantsDonald Trump
Joe Biden
Moderator(s)Kristen Welker of NBC
Websitebelmontdebate2020.com

The third and final debate is scheduled to take place on Thursday, October 22, 2020 8:00–9:30 pm local time, at the Curb Event Center at Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee.[24] Kristen Welker of NBC will moderate the final debate.[18]

Debates sponsored by the Free & Equal Elections Foundation

First open debate (Hilton Chicago)

Early on March 4, 2020, the Free & Equal Elections Foundation held a debate at the Hilton Chicago Hotel, which included various third party candidates, as well as minor candidates affiliated with the Democratic and Republican parties.[25]

2020 Free & Equal debates
No. Date & Time Location Moderators Invited participants
 P  Participant. Democratic Libertarian Green Constitution American Solidarity Life and Liberty Transhumanist

Businessman
Mark Stewart
of Connecticut 		Activist
Dan Berhman
of Texas 		Activist
Erik Gerhardt
of Pennsylvania 		LNC Vice Chair
Arvin Vohra
of Maryland 		Activist
Sedinam Moyowasifza-Curry
of California 		Financial Advisor
Charles Kraut
of Virginia 		Educator
Brian Carroll
of California 		Activist
J.R. Myers
of Alaska 		Activist
Ben Zion
of Arizona
1a
March 4, 2020
2:00 pm CST
 Chicago, Illinois Christina Tobin P P P P P P P P P
 P  Participant. Democratic Republican Libertarian Green /
Socialist 		PSL Independent

Attorney
Mosie Boyd
of Arkansas 		Futurist
Zoltan Istvan
of California 		Lieutenant
Ken Armstrong
of Hawaii 		Doctor
Jo Jorgensen
of South Carolina 		Corporal
Adam Kokesh
of Indiana 		Activist
Vermin Supreme
of Massachusetts 		Tradesman
Howie Hawkins
of New York 		Activist
Gloria La Riva
of California 		Activist
Mark Charles
of the District of Columbia
1b
March 4, 2020
6:30 pm CST
 Chicago, Illinois Christina Tobin P P P P P P P P P

Second open debate

For the general election, the Free & Equal Elections Foundation is scheduled to host a debate on October 8, 2020 in Denver, Colorado, with participation limited to candidates on the ballot in at least 8 states.[26]

2020 Free & Equal debates
No. Date & Time Location Moderators Invited participants
 P  Confirmed participant.
    I  Invitee. 		Democratic Republican Libertarian Green /
Socialist 		PSL Alliance /
Reform 		Constitution American Solidarity Independent

Former Vice President
Joe Biden
of Delaware 		President
Donald Trump
of Florida 		Psychologist
Jo Jorgensen
of South Carolina 		Tradesman
Howie Hawkins
of New York 		Activist
Gloria La Riva
of California 		Businessman
Rocky De La Fuente
of California 		Businessman
Don Blankenship
of West Virginia 		Educator
Brian Carroll
of California 		Entrepreneur
Brock Pierce
of Puerto Rico 		Producer
Kanye West
of Illinois
1
October 8, 2020
6:00 pm MDT
 Denver, Colorado TBA I I I P P I I P P I

References

  1. ^ a b "2020 Presidential Debate Schedule Announced for General Election". The Commission on Presidential Debates. October 11, 2019. Archived from the original on September 17, 2020. Retrieved September 16, 2020.
  2. ^ "CPD: Overview". www.debates.org. Archived from the original on 2018-12-29. Retrieved 2020-09-16.
  3. ^ Haberman, Maggie; Karni, Annie (January 24, 2020). "Trump May Skip Debates, or Seek New Host, if Process Isn't 'Fair'". The New York Times. Archived from the original on August 1, 2020. Retrieved July 17, 2020.
  4. ^ Sarah Mucha (June 22, 2020). "Biden campaign agrees to 3 debates with Trump and slams push for more as 'distraction'". CNN. Archived from the original on June 27, 2020. Retrieved July 17, 2020.
  5. ^ Goldmacher, Shane (June 22, 2020). "Biden Campaign Commits to 3 Presidential Debates Ahead of November Election". The New York Times. Archived from the original on July 25, 2020. Retrieved July 17, 2020.
  6. ^ Stevens, Matt (August 6, 2020). "A 4th Presidential Debate? Commission Says No to Trump". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on August 9, 2020. Retrieved August 10, 2020.
  7. ^ Coleman, Justine (August 27, 2020). "Pelosi says there shouldn't be any debates between Biden and Trump". The Hill. Archived from the original on September 1, 2020. Retrieved September 1, 2020.
  8. ^ "CPD: Commission on Presidential Debates Announces Sites and Dates for 2020 General Election Debates and 2020 Nonpartisan Candidate Selection Criteria". www.debates.org. Commission of Presidential Debates. Archived from the original on August 6, 2020. Retrieved August 16, 2020.
  9. ^ "Article I". US Legal System. USLegal. Retrieved June 15, 2018.
  10. ^ Moreno, Paul. "Articles on Amendment XIV: Disqualification for Rebellion". The Heritage Guide to the Constitution. The Heritage Foundation. Retrieved June 15, 2018.
  11. ^ Peabody, Bruce G.; Gant, Scott E. (February 1999). "The Twice and Future President: Constitutional Interstices and the Twenty-Second Amendment". Minnesota Law Review. 83 (3). Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Law School: 565–635. Archived from the original on January 15, 2013. Retrieved June 12, 2015.
  12. ^ Albert, Richard (Winter 2005). "The Evolving Vice Presidency". Temple Law Review. 78 (4). Philadelphia: Temple University of the Commonwealth System of Higher Education: 812–893.
  13. ^ a b "Commission on Presidential Debates Announces Polls to be used in 2020 Candidate Selection Criteria". www.debates.org. Commission of Presidential Debates. Archived from the original on September 2, 2020. Retrieved September 25, 2020.
  14. ^ "Media". The Commission on Presidential Debates. Archived from the original on July 17, 2020. Retrieved July 17, 2020.
  15. ^ a b c d Phillips, Amber. "What to know about the 2020 presidential debates". Washington Post. Retrieved September 25, 2020.
  16. ^ a b Edelman, Adam (July 27, 2020). "Notre Dame withdraws as 2020 presidential debate host citing coronavirus threat". NBC News. Archived from the original on July 27, 2020. Retrieved July 27, 2020.
  17. ^ Releases, News (July 27, 2020). "Case Western Reserve and Cleveland Clinic to Host First Presidential Debate Tuesday, Sept. 29, in Health Education Campus' Samson Pavilion". Cleveland Clinic Newsroom. Archived from the original on July 28, 2020. Retrieved July 27, 2020. {{cite web}}: |first1= has generic name (help)
  18. ^ a b c d Matt Webb Mitovich (September 2, 2020). "Presidential Debate Moderators Include Fox News' Chris Wallace, C-SPAN's Steve Scully and NBC's Kristen Welker". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on September 2, 2020. Retrieved September 2, 2020.
  19. ^ "Notre Dame readies to host first 2020 presidential debate | Stories | Notre Dame Magazine | University of Notre Dame". Notre Dame Magazine. Winter 2019. Archived from the original on July 28, 2020. Retrieved July 27, 2020.
  20. ^ "Debate organizers reveal 6 topics for first Trump-Biden showdown". Politico. September 22, 2020. Retrieved September 24, 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  21. ^ "The University of Utah will host a vice presidential debate next year". The Salt Lake Tribune. October 11, 2019. Archived from the original on July 27, 2020. Retrieved July 27, 2020.
  22. ^ Haddad, Ken (June 23, 2020). "University of Michigan will no longer host 2020 presidential debate due to public health concerns". WDIV. Archived from the original on July 27, 2020. Retrieved July 27, 2020.
  23. ^ Jesse, David; Gray, Kathleen (October 11, 2019). "University of Michigan to host presidential debate in 2020". Detroit Free Press. Archived from the original on July 28, 2020. Retrieved July 27, 2020.
  24. ^ Milton, Immanual John (November 17, 2019). "Behind the decision for Belmont to host their second Presidential debate in twelve years". The Vanderbilt Hustler. Archived from the original on September 20, 2020. Retrieved July 27, 2020.
  25. ^ "2020 Open Presidential Debate". Free and Equal Elections Foundation. Archived from the original on September 13, 2020. Retrieved September 13, 2020.
  26. ^ "Four Candidates Confirmed for October 8 Open Presidential Debate in Denver". Free & Equal Elections Foundation. September 16, 2020. Archived from the original on September 20, 2020. Retrieved September 18, 2020.

Further reading

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