THE CO-CHAIR of the Commission on Presidential Debates (CPD) says he's rooting for CNN to pull off Thursday's event, even as he vents frustration that the nation's longstanding debate proctor has been cut from the process.
The high-stakes matchup in Atlanta between President Biden and former President Trump will be the first presidential debate in more than 30 years to not be overseen by the CPD. The Biden campaign went around the CPD this year to negotiate directly with CNN after blaming the CPD for not taking control of an unruly 2020 debate between Biden and Trump.
"I'm trying to be fair, I'm not judging yet, I want to watch and see," Frank Fahrenkopf, the co-chairman of the CPD, told The Hill's Evening Report. "We developed a format that really works. If they came up with a format that gives the American people a solid view of the candidates, that's great."
Fahrenkopf, who has run the CPD since it was founded, has overseen 33 presidential and vice presidential debates dating back to 1988.
The veteran debate chief had searing criticism of some of the big changes to the format for the first general election debate this year:
On the debate having commercial breaks for the first time: "This is an important part of American civics. Why would you break twice to run ads?"
On the lack of audience at CNN studios in Atlanta: "They're saying there shouldn't be an audience because people clap and cheer and scream, but that's not true. That happens at primary debates, not presidential debates. That's a phony thing the Biden people came up with."
On moderators allowing for 2 minutes of uninterrupted answers from the candidates: "It's almost like an interview the way they're doing it, but this is supposed to be a debate between the two candidates."
On holding a debate so early in the election year: "Americans don't traditionally focus on the election until after Labor Day."
On Robert F. Kennedy Jr. being left off the debate stage: "We wait for every state to complete their ballots…with us, Kennedy would have had up until Sept. 6 to qualify."
In addition to these changes, there will only be two presidential debates this cycle instead of three, and two moderators instead of the traditional one.
Fahrenkopf also argued there's an inherent conflict of interest for CNN, which is producing the debate, coming up with the rules, moderating — and later providing commentary and analysis.
"How will the talking heads on CNN do a fair analysis after they sponsored it? It's a real challenge," he said.
CNN did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The network has defended anchors Jake Tapper and Dana Bash, who will be helming the debate, from claims of bias by the Trump campaign. Earlier this week, CNN's Kasie Hunt abruptly ended an interview with Trump campaign press secretary Karoline Leavitt for criticizing the two anchors.
"There are no two people better equipped to co-moderate a substantial and fact-based discussion," CNN said in a statement this week.
MEANWHILE...the Commission on Presidential Debates co-chairman vowed that the organization would mark a return in four years.
"We'll be around…the commission is not going away if we don't do any debates this year. We'll be back in 2028," Fahrenkopf said.
How will he be watching the debate Thursday night? "I'm going to have a martini and watch it on TV."
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