Fox News and other news outlets urge presidential candidates to ‘publicly commit’ to debates

FOX News Media and eleven other national news organizations released a joint statement Sunday urging the presumptive Democratic and Republican presidential nominees to "publicly commit" to general election debates prior to the 2024 election.

"With the contours of the 2024 general election now coming into clear focus, we – the undersigned national news organizations – urge the presumptive presidential nominees to publicly commit to participating in general election debates before November’s election," the news organizations stated in the joint statement. "General election debates have a rich tradition in our American democracy, having played a vital role in every presidential election of the past 50 years, dating to 1976. In each of those elections, tens of millions have tuned in to watch the candidates debating side by side, in a competition of ideas for the votes of American citizens."

"Since 1988, the nonpartisan Commission on Presidential Debates has sponsored all presidential general election debates. The Commission has previously announced dates, times, and eligibility criteria for 2024 debates. Though it is too early for invitations to be extended to any candidates, it is not too early for candidates who expect to meet the eligibility criteria to publicly state their support for – and their intention to participate in – the Commission’s debates planned for this fall," the group of a dozen news organizations continued.

TRUMP CAMPAIGN DEMANDS BIDEN DEBATE HIM 'MUCH EARLIER' AND MORE OFTEN

"If there is one thing Americans can agree on during this polarized time, it is that the stakes of this election are exceptionally high," the organizations added. "Amidst that backdrop, there is simply no substitute for the candidates