RNC threatens to tell candidates not to participate in presidential debates


The Republican National Committee is threatening to advise future presidential candidates to skip the general election debates.
RNC Chair Ronna McDaniel in a letter to the nonpartisan Commission on Presidential Debates vowed to recommend that Republican candidates not take part in general election debates if the commission doesn't implement certain changes, CNN reports.
"The CPD's repeated missteps and the partisan actions of its Board Members make clear that the organization no longer provides the fair and impartial forum for presidential debates which the law requires and the American people deserve," McDaniel wrote.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Former President Donald Trump's campaign repeatedly slammed the debate commission in 2020 for a variety of reasons, including its plan to hold the second debate virtually; that debate was ultimately canceled after Trump refused to participate. The campaign also criticized the commission for the moderators selected and for muting the candidates' microphones at certain points during the last debate in response to a chaotic first debate with frequent interruptions by Trump.
McDaniel's letter reportedly includes a number of grievances about the commission, "including its decision on when to hold the debates, some of the political leanings of its board members and the selection of C-SPAN's Steve Scully to moderate what would have been the second contest," CNN writes. Scully once interned for then-Sen. Joe Biden, and he was suspended by C-SPAN after falsely blaming a tweet he sent to former White House staffer Anthony Scaramucci on hackers.
McDaniel is reportedly demanding the commission adopt term limits for its board, prohibit members from making public comments about the candidates, and hold at least one debate before early voting begins, per CNN. McDaniel also calls for the commission to establish a code for how moderators should act toward the candidates and ban moderators who "have an appearance of bias due to personal, professional, or partisan factors." The RNC chair is asking for a response from the commission by July 31.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.
-
Gandhi arrests: Narendra Modi's 'vendetta' against India's opposition
The Explainer Another episode threatens to spark uproar in the Indian PM's long-running battle against the country's first family
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK
-
How the woke right gained power in the US
Under the radar The term has grown in prominence since Donald Trump returned to the White House
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK
-
Codeword: April 24, 2025
The Week's daily codeword puzzle
By The Week Staff
-
Musk vows DOGE pullback as Tesla profits plunge
Speed Read The Tesla SEO says he will soon step back from government matters to devote more time to the company
By Peter Weber, The Week US
-
IMF sees slump from tariffs, Trump tries to calm markets
Speed Read The International Monetary Fund predicts the U.S. and global economies will slow significantly due to the president's trade war
By Peter Weber, The Week US
-
DHS chief Kristi Noem's purse stolen from eatery
Speed Read Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem's purse was stolen while she dined with family at a restaurant in Washington, D.C.
By Peter Weber, The Week US
-
Trump stands by Hegseth amid ouster reports
Speed Read The president dismissed reports that he was on the verge of firing Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth over a second national security breach
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US
-
Hegseth reportedly shared war plans in 2nd group text
Speed Read The defense secretary sent information about an attack in Yemen to a Signal group chat that included his wife and brother
By Peter Weber, The Week US
-
Judge threatens Trump team with criminal contempt
Speed Read James Boasberg attempts to hold the White House accountable for disregarding court orders over El Salvador deportation flights
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US
-
Biden slams Trump's Social Security cuts
Speed Read In his first major public address since leaving office, Biden criticized the Trump administration's 'damage' and 'destruction'
By Peter Weber, The Week US
-
El Salvador refuses to return US deportee
Speed Read President Nayib Bukele of El Salvador said he would not send back the unlawfully deported Kilmar Ábrego García
By Peter Weber, The Week US