Black History
Virginia State University Removed From 2024 Presidential Debate List
Virginia State University has been removed from the 2024 presidential debate schedule, which now includes only two debates at CNN and ABC studios. This change has sparked disappointment and calls for reconsideration from Virginia lawmakers and university officials.
#VSU #PresidentialDebate #Biden #Trump #HBCU #CNN #ABC
By Rosaland Tyler
Associate Editor
New Journal and Guide
The announcement was made on May 15, the same day news reports announced details for a new debate schedule between former President Donald Trump and President Joe Biden.
The new debate schedule appears to freeze out not just VSU but two previously chosen universities in Texas and Utah.
A Sept. 16 debate was scheduled at Texas State University in San Marcos, as well as an Oct. 9 debate at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City.
According to news reports, CNN has already selected anchors Jake Tapper and Dana Bash to moderate the first presidential debate. The June 27 debate on CNN, which will be broadcast live, will take place at CNN’s Atlanta studios and won’t feature a studio audience.
Instead of holding the Presidential debates on college campuses, debate organizers now say they will debate twice, first on June 27 at CNN studios in Atlanta.
The second debate is scheduled for Sept. 10 at a to-be-determined location that will be broadcast on ABC. ABC has yet to announce moderators for the September debate.
“We will continue to work closely with the Commission on Presidential Debates and other stakeholders as we assess this situation,” Virginia State University spokesperson Gwen Williams Dandridge said in a recent statement. “VSU will continue to provide updates and further details as they become available.”
According to USA TODAY, Jen O’Malley Dillion, campaign chair for the Biden-Harris Campaign, sent a recent letter to the commission to “provide notice that the President will not be participating in the Commission on Presidential Debates’ announced debates in 2024.” Instead, Biden would take part in debates hosted by news organizations.
While the letter argued that the commission’s debate schedule was “out of step with changes in the structure of our elections and the interest of voters,” recent news reports suggest the Republican National Committee may have sparked the change in debate sites.
According to USA TODAY, “The Republican National Committee had voted to withdraw its participation from the Commission on Presidential Debates in 2022, after Trump railed against the commission for its selection of moderators for the 2020 presidential debates and for muting each candidate’s microphone during the final 2020 debate.”
In any event, after the change was announced, Sen. Mark Warner, D-Virginia, said in a post on the social-platform X, formerly known as Twitter, “Virginia State made history as the first HBCU to ever be selected to hold a presidential debate. Biden and Trump should stick to the plan and head to Virginia for a debate.”
Meanwhile, Virginia Sen. Tim Kaine wrote on X, “Now that Biden and Trump are discussing debates, one thing is clear. The first ever Presidential debate at an HBCU, Virginia State University, should go forward as planned.”
Rep. Jennifer McClellan said the debate at Virginia State should proceed, in a recent statement. “I hope the ongoing negotiations between the campaigns result in a Presidential debate at VSU.”
In November 2023, Virginia State became the first HBCU ever selected to host a General Election U.S. Presidential Debate. It has already hosted preliminary debate events such as a 2024 Black History Month event that featured Dr. Meldon Hollis, who served in President Jimmy Carter’s and Barack Obama’s administrations.
Hollis spoke on Feb. 28, on Zoom, at 6 p.m. on U.S. presidential policies regarding HBCUs.
