The Republican National Committee voted unanimously on Thursday to leave the Commission on Presidential Debates, citing unfairness.
“Debates are an important part of the democratic process, and the RNC is committed to free and fair debates,” RNC Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel said in a statement. “The Commission on Presidential Debates is biased and has refused to enact simple and commonsense reforms to help ensure fair debates including hosting debates before voting begins and selecting moderators who have never worked for candidates on the debate stage.”
The RNC had previously requested that the commission make its moderator selection process transparent and implement a code of conduct for the moderators. It also suggested that the commission hold a debate before early voting opened.
The vote will restrict Republican presidential candidates from participating in debates run by the commission. The RNC pledged to find fair debate platforms for their candidates.
In the past, both parties have accused the commission of mishandling debates with biased moderators and tilted questions.
Former President Donald Trump heavily criticized the commission for being biased during the 2020 election cycle. His debate performance in 2020 was considered by observers of both parties to be the worst in recent U.S. history.
