Five major news networks—ABC, NBC, CBS, CNN, and Fox News—are preparing a joint open letter to both Donald Trump and President Joe Biden urging the candidates to commit to three scheduled debates, according to The New York Times. “If there is one thing Americans can agree on, during this polarized time, it is that the stakes of this election are exceptionally high,” read a draft of the letter, as reported by the Times. “There is simply no substitute for the candidates debating with each other, and before the American people, their visions for the future of the nation.” The letter has not yet been finalized, as the networks are looking for more news organizations to co-sign it. Trump refused to commit to the GOP primary debates and demanded last week that Biden take a drug test prior to any debate rematch, alleging without evidence that the president was “higher than a kite” at the State of the Union. The Biden campaign has not committed to the presidential debates, though they have not ruled it out, the Times noted.
