CNN to Run Commercials During June Presidential Debates, Breaking From Tradition

Donald Trump and Joe Biden

Presidential debates have traditionally run commercial free, but CNN reportedly plans to break from that tradition during its scheduled June 27 live debate.

The cable news network plans to run commercial breaks during the scheduled June 27 debate, according to the entertainment magazine Variety, citing unnamed sources.

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Republican National Committee Unanimously Decides to Withdraw from Commission on Presidential Debates

The Republican National Committee said Thursday the group has unanimous voted to withdraw from the Commission on Presidential Debates, the group that runs the series of General Election debates between the Democrat and Republican nominee every four years.

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Debate Commission’s New Rule Designates Mic Mute Times for Thursday’s Debate

President Donald Trump and Democratic nominee Joe Biden will have their microphones muted during Thursday’s debate when it is not their turn to speak, the Commission on Presidential Debates announced Monday.

The rule was created in order to avoid the interruptions and crosstalk seen during the first presidential debate, according to The New York Times. The commission noted the campaigns might not be pleased and both Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden and President Donald  Trump’s aides were informed of the rule on Monday.

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‘The Swamp’: Debate Commission Packed with Trump Critics from Both Parties

The leadership of the Commission on Presidential Debates, which organizes the general election debates, includes many Trump critics from both parties.

While the commission is officially nonpartisan and includes a mix of both Republicans and Democrats, it is overwhelmingly made up of members of the political establishment who are opposed to President Donald Trump.

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Second Presidential Debate Canceled by Organizers

The second presidential debate, scheduled for next Thursday between President Trump and Democratic challenger Joe Biden was canceled Friday by its organizers.

The Commission on Presidential Debates, which runs the event, originally decided to make it a virtual, town hall style event after Trump tested positive last week for the coronavirus.

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Commission on Presidential Debates, C-SPAN Say Debate Moderator Steve Scully’s Account Was Hacked

The Commission on Presidential Debates co-chair and C-SPAN said Friday that the Twitter account of Steve Scully, the scheduled moderator of the second presidential debate, had been hacked.

“Steve is a man of great integrity, okay?” Commission on Presidential Debates co-chair Frank Fahrenkopf said, according to Fox News. “I don’t know this question about whether he tweeted something out or not, I do know, and you’ll probably pick up on it in a minute, that he was hacked… Apparently, there’s something now that’s been on television and the radio saying that he talked to Scaramucci… He was hacked. It didn’t happen.”

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Second Debate Moderator Steve Scully Interned for Joe Biden

C-SPAN’s Steve Scully, who is scheduled to moderate the next presidential debate, formerly interned for 2020 presidential candidate Joe Biden.

The Commission on Presidential Debates announced in September that Scully, C-SPAN’s senior executive producer and political editor, would moderate the second presidential debate in early September. The debate is scheduled to take place October 15 in Miami, Florida.

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