For nearly four decades the Commission on Presidential Debates has managed and organized every presidential debate, but the Republican National Committee has just announced it will ban any GOP candidate from participating in any debate the Commission holds.
The New York Times reports the RNC is preparing to require any GOP candidate seeking that party’s nomination for President to “sign a pledge to not participate in any debates sponsored by the Commission.”
Republican U.S. Rep. Adam Kinzinger of Illinois weighed in Thursday afternoon.
“This is insane,” he said on Twitter. “Why,” he asked.
The Commission on Presidential Debates is a bipartisan nonprofit created jointly by the chairs of both the Democratic Party and the Republican Party in 1987, and has run every debate held since.
But first candidate and then President Donald Trump has railed against the Commission, refusing to participate during the second presidential debate because it was going to be held virtually, because of the coronavirus pandemic. He and his officials have also accused the Commission of being unfair and biased against him.
The RNC appears to be preparing for another Trump run. It is still engaged in a multi-million dollar fundraising agreement with the former President, including paying some of his legal bills.