President Donald Trump wants to know why he should agree to changes in the structure of the presidential debates.
In a tweet on Thursday afternoon, Trump asked, “Why would I allow the Debate Commission to change the rules for the second and third Debates when I easily won last time?”
Why would I allow the Debate Commission to change the rules for the second and third Debates when I easily won last time?
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 1, 2020
Trump’s tweet comes a day after the Commission on Presidential Debates announced it is considering making changes to the structure of the next debates after Tuesday’s chaotic first debate, as IJR reported.
“Last night’s debate made clear that additional structure should be added to the format of the remaining debates to ensure a more orderly discussion of the issues,” the commission said in a statement.
Trump faced off against Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden on Tuesday. However, the event has been widely panned as Trump repeatedly interrupted the moderator and his Democratic opponent.
Additionally, Biden called Trump a “clown” and to “shut up.”
During a call with reporters on Thursday, Trump campaign staffers also voiced their strong opposition to the commission’s decision to consider changes to the debate structure.
And Republican National Committee Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel also voiced her opposition to the idea, as IJR reported.
During an appearance on Fox News on Thursday, she said, “I hope the Committee on Presidential Debates does not change the rules to once again protect Joe Biden from answering to the American people.”
“I don’t think you should be changing the rules that they have agreed to, and I do not think this commission has the right to just arbitrarily change rules without talking to both candidates and getting agreement and input from both sides,” she added.
The next debate is scheduled for Oct. 15 at Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts in Miami, Florida. It will be moderated by CSPAN’s Senior Executive Producer and Political Editor Steve Scully.