“Additional Structure” Needed for Future Presidential Debates, Organizers Say, Amid Blowback

The Commission on Presidential Debates, the bipartisan body that organizes the presidential and vice presidential debates, has released a statement addressing the criticism of the first debate between President Trump and former Vice President Biden, and promising to make changes “to ensure a more orderly discussion of the issues.”

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“Last night’s debate made clear that additional structure should be added to the format of the remaining debates to ensure a more orderly discussion of the issues,” the CPD said in a statement, adding that it would be reviewing suggested changes and announcing them “shortly.”

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Tuesday’s debate was roundly criticized by pundits on the left and the right, as well as by political reporters, for the frequent interruptions and personal attacks.

After the debate was over, CNN’s Jake Tapper called it “a hot mess inside a dumpster fire inside a train wreck,” ABC’s Martha Raddatz said “it was not a presidential debate. It was mud wrestling in the middle of a pandemic,” and Fox News’ Bret Baier said, “You wonder if America lost on the substance, on the issues.”

The debate’s moderator, Fox News anchor Chris Wallace, was also the focus of intense criticism by pundits.

The Commission defended Wallace in its statement, suggesting that his ability to rein in the candidates was limited and that “additional tools” may be needed to assist future moderators.

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“The Commission is grateful to Chris Wallace for the professionalism and skill he brought to last night’s debate and intends to ensure that additional tools to maintain order are in place for the remaining debates,” the statement said.

The next debate on the calendar is the vice presidential debate between Mike Pence and Kamala Harris, scheduled for Oct. 7 in Salt Lake City, Utah.

The next presidential debate is slated for Oct. 15 in Miami, with C-SPAN’s Steve Scully set to moderate. That debate will be in a town hall format.

The final scheduled debate of the cycle is slated for Oct. 22 in Nashville, Tenn., with NBC’s Kristen Welker set to be moderator. That debate was supposed to have the same format as last night’s debate, but the CPD’s statement suggests changes will be made before then.