Fact Check: Did Joe Biden's campaign try to renegotiate June 27 debate terms to allow him to sit?
WASHINGTON, DC: CNN denied claims made by a conservative news outlet and subsequently promoted by former President Donald Trump's supporters regarding President Joe Biden's campaign team allegedly trying to renegotiate the terms of the June 27 debate to allow the 81-year-old incumbent to sit down during the 90-minute event.
This is the most recent effort by former President Trump's allies to highlight concerns about President Biden's age, according to Forbes.
What was the misleading claim that needed correction?
In the lead-up to the 2024 US general election, critics of President Joe Biden highlighted his standing as the oldest American president at 81 years old.
On June 17, 2024, an X account with the username ‘@DC_Reporter’ posted a tweet claiming that the Biden campaign was seeking to modify the terms of the upcoming debates to accommodate the Democrat statesman to be able to sit during this year’s presidential debates, per Snopes.
🚨SCOOP: Per two sources, including one at CNN, the Biden Campaign is trying to renegotiate the debate rules to allow Biden to be seated.
— Washington Reporter (@DC_Reporter) June 17, 2024
This would be a major format change from what was agreed to.
This post, purportedly based on information from the right-leaning news outlet The Washington Reporter, garnered over 2 million views and 2,300 likes on social media.
The Washington Reporter, established earlier in the year by Republican political strategists, relayed on Monday through a tweet that two unidentified sources, one of whom is affiliated with the aforementioned network, alleged that the Biden campaign is attempting to "renegotiate the debate rules to allow Biden to be seated."
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This assertion was subsequently shared by prominent Republican figures, such as Rep Elise Stefanik (R-NY), Sen Mike Lee (R-Utah), Sen Eric Schmitt (R-Mo), and Sen Josh Hawley, (R-Mo).
Senator Hawley's tweet questioned Biden's ability to stand during the debate, claiming “he can’t stand for 90 minutes - but he’s 100% able to be President?”
Who came out to dismiss unsubstantiated claims regarding Biden campaign?
A few hours following the Washington Reporter's publishing of the unfounded claim, CNN refuted the allegations surrounding the Biden administration, telling Forbes that “it’s not accurate.”
Both President Joe Biden and the presumptive 2024 GOP nominee, Donald Trump, had agreed to CNN's proposed debate format of standing on stage when they accepted the network's invitation.
This was corroborated by Kevin Munoz, assistant press secretary for President Joe Biden, who confirmed the inaccuracy of the claim on X.
As CNN said, this claim is completely untrue. pic.twitter.com/7UoifKh6dX
— Kevin Munoz (@munozka315) June 17, 2024
President Joe Biden has faced questions about his mental fitness, alongside concerns about his occasional verbal blunders and awkward public demeanor, all of which have been exploited by his opponents through the dissemination of false or misleading information.
What can we expect in upcoming presidential debate on CNN later this month?
CNN is set to host a 90-minute presidential debate at its Atlanta studios on June 27. The event will be moderated by Jake Tapper and Dana Bash and will not have a studio audience.
It is expected that only Trump and Biden will be present on stage, as independent candidate Robert F Kennedy Jr has not yet fulfilled the requirements for ballot access in enough states to secure the 270 electoral votes necessary to win the presidency.
Kennedy Jr has obtained access in six states, totaling 89 electoral votes; however, he still needed to petition for ballot access in most states due to the absence of support from a certified political party.
According to a poll conducted by Quinnipiac University in February, 67% of voters believe that Biden is too old to serve another term, while 57% express the same sentiment regarding Trump.
