US Elections: Trump Threatens To Bypass Commission On Presidential Debates

President Donald Trump made clear Monday that he intends to participate in at least three general election debates, but is threatening to sidestep the nonprofit group charged with running them. “I look very much forward to debating whoever the lucky person is who stumbles across the finish line in the little watched Do Nothing Democrat Debates,” Trump tweeted Monday morning after The New York Times reported that he was considering skipping them entirely.

Trump said his record “is so good” that “perhaps I would consider more than 3 debates,” but also complained, without evidence, that the Commission on Presidential Debates is “stacked with Trump Haters & Never Trumpers” and threatened to bypass them.

“As President, the debates are up.......to me, and there are many options, including doing them directly & avoiding the nasty politics of this very biased Commission,” Trump wrote, adding that he would “make a decision at an appropriate time.”

In a statement, the commission said, “The televised general election debates are an important part of our democratic process.” It said the commission has conducted 30 general election presidential and vice presidential debates since 1988.

“Our record is one of fairness, balance and non-partisanship,” the statement said.

Last week, Trump said it was unfair that he was being impeached as he had done no wrong and the country under him was doing quite good. “It’s not fair that I’m being Impeached when I’ve done absolutely nothing wrong!,” Trump said in a tweet on Friday night as a key Congressional committee, earlier in the day, approved the two articles of impeachment against him.

The impeachment against Trump now moves to the House of Representatives, where the opposition Democratic Party enjoys a majority. Once passed by the House, the trial for impeachment would be carried out in the 100-member US Senate, where Trump’s Republican party has a majority.