EASTON, Pa. — New uncertainty surrounds plans for Lafayette College to host the 2024 vice presidential debate as President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump have cut out the non-partisan organization that has planned presidential debates for decades.
The Commission on Presidential Debates awarded Lafayette in January the vice presidential debate, and the college has spent months planning infrastructure upgrades, events and fundraising for the big moment.
But it's unclear if the candidates will set foot on campus after the Biden campaign announced Thursday afternoon that Vice President Kamala Harris has agreed to debate the eventual Republican candidate this summer.
The news comes a day after the Biden and Trump campaigns announced they had agreed to debates in June on CNN and September on ABC.
The newly announced vice presidential debate is set for either July 23 or Aug. 13 on CBS, the Biden campaign said.
The debate in the works for Lafayette is scheduled for Sept. 24.
Commission on Presidential Debates
Before the Biden campaign announced the CBS veep debate, a Lafayette College spokesman deferred inquiries about the status of its debate to the Commission on Presidential Debates.
The organization did not return a phone call or email seeking comment Thursday. When word broke about the presidential debates Wednesday, it suggested it would be prepared to move forward with its own debates.
“The commission was established in 1987 specifically to ensure that such debates reliably take place and reach the widest television, radio and streaming audience,” the statement said. “Our 2024 sites, all locations of higher learning, are prepared to host debates on dates chosen to accommodate early voters. We will continue to be ready to execute this plan.”
The CNN presidential debate will take place before either candidate has formally accepted his party's nomination at their respective party conventions. Trump has not yet selected his vice presidential candidate; he suggested in an interview he would hold off on naming his pick until the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, which begins July 15.
The showdowns
The swiftness with which the matchups came together reflects how each of the two unpopular candidates thinks he can get the better of his opponent in a head-to-head showdown. Trump and his team are convinced the debates will exacerbate voters’ concerns about Biden’s age and competence, while Biden’s team believes Trump’s often-incendiary rhetoric will remind voters of why they voted him out of the White House four years ago.
The Biden and Trump campaigns had both been critical of the commission’s plans, including the dates it set in September and October, after voters in many states will have already started casting ballots by mail.
The Biden campaign objected to the possibility of third-party candidates making the debate stage and the presence of a live studio audience. It also has held a grudge against the commission, accusing it of failing to evenly apply its rules during the 2020 Biden-Trump matchups.
There also was little love lost for the commission from Trump, who objected to technical issues at his first debate with Democrat Hillary Clinton in 2016 and was upset when a 2020 debate with Biden was canceled after the Republican came down with COVID-19.
Lafayette in limbo
The Republican National Committee had already promised not to work with the commission on the 2024 contests.
Lafayette College had viewed the prime time debate as an opportunity to celebrate its 200th anniversary.
In an interview with LehighValleyNews.com, college President Nicole Hurd said the event would allow the college to promote its democratic ideals and introduce the school to a wider audience. Lafayette officials determined that serving as host would have the same effect as a $50 million marketing campaign.
"I think everybody at the table was very excited this would be one way to really amplify Lafayette and participate in what I think is an iconic part of our American democratic process," she said.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
