The Commission on Presidential Debates shouldn't change the rules of upcoming debates, including adding a mute button to cut off either President Donald Trump or Democrat nominee Joe Biden if they go over their time limits or interrupt each other, unless both candidates agree to the changes, Republican National Committee Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel said Thursday.
"I don't think the commission has a right to arbitrarily change the rules without getting agreement from both sides," McDaniel told Fox News' America's Newsroom."
That includes adding time restrictions to the debates, she said.
"They had that in this debate," said McDaniel. "They came out hot and heavy and they went after each other. These are grown men and they're going to be on the world stage. They can handle a debate. I don't think we need to put parameters in to make sure it's softer and easier and nicer. They are competing to be president of the United States. Let's make sure they have the ability to convey their beliefs to the American people."
Both campaigns agreed to certain parameters for the debates, not to change the rules in the middle of the game, but rules have been changed for Biden for the whole election, said McDaniel.
"(He is) a candidate who is not doing interviews, not taking tough questions from the media, who is putting lids on most days, not going out and campaigning," said McDaniel. "That debate is the first opportunity we had to actually make sure that Joe Biden answered tough questions and he still got away without answering tough questions."
She also accused Biden of interrupting Trump as much as the president was interrupting him.
"I do think we need to hold Joe Biden accountable and it's sad to see the moderators don't do it. He has been given a free pass," said McDaniel. "Unfortunately the president had to play that role."
Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
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