ABC News commentator George Stephanopoulos suggested debate moderators ask former President Donald Trump “who won the last election” during the presidential debate, calling it the “threshold question.”
The first presidential debate of the 2024 presidential race is scheduled to be held on June 27, with CNN hosting it and Jake Tapper and Dana Bash set to moderate it. The suggestion by Stephanopoulos comes as Trump has insisted the 2020 presidential election results were illegitimate. The ABC News host suggested that asking him again during the debate would provide a different context from that which he has normally commented.
“In front of 140 million people, it’s a little different on a stage like that, and when it’s an actual debate, but it’s a real test,” Stephanopoulos said.
Stephanopoulos added that President Joe Biden would have to provide a good defense for the current state of the United States, including the rising cost of living and other issues affecting families. However, he stressed that it is “fundamental” if a candidate like Trump can accept the election results and the transfer of power.
Earlier this year, attorneys for Trump named ABC News and Stephanopoulos in a lawsuit accusing the defendants of defamation and tarnishing Trump’s reputation, which was filed after Stephanopoulos conducted an interview with Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC). During this interview, the ABC News host erroneously claimed that Trump had been found “liable for rape,” referring to the former president’s case against E. Jean Carroll, where Trump was found liable for “sexual abuse,” not rape.
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While the first presidential debate is scheduled for later this month, a second debate will take place on ABC News on Sept. 10, which will be moderated by the network’s David Muir and Linsey Davis.
Besides Trump and Biden, independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is also vying for a spot on the debate stage. Kennedy has submitted the required signatures to put him on Minnesota’s ballot and has also surpassed eligibility of 270 electoral votes. If Kennedy manages to reach 15% in four qualifying national polls, he will be eligible to partake in the first presidential debate.
