UB professor skeptical about U.S. presidential debates

Buffalo, N.Y. (WBEN) "I'll believe it when I see it."

Shawn Donahue, Professor of Political Science at the University at Buffalo tells WBEN the two debates agreed to by President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump, seemed to come together pretty quickly. Almost too quickly.

"It felt as if the Biden camp was taunting the Trump side," with a "make my day" social media video. "And the Trump team said Ok, yes." For that reason, Donahue is a skeptic.

If it does happen, the ground rules would be different than the last time the two debated in 2020. The new debates would take place in a television studio with just the candidates and the moderator present, and no live audience.

The debate must be 1-on-1 with no third-party candidates allowed, a shot at Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., who is considered a long-shot Independent candidate.

Also, candidates' microphones would be muted once their allotted speaking time expires, to prevent crosstalk and interruptions.

"We saw in some of the primary debates, going back to 2016, that Trump was really feeding off of the audience," said Donahue.

He thinks the muting of microphones is a result of the first debate in 2020.

"There were constant interruptions. I think they're trying to get more serious answers than just back and forth exchanges."

Many think these ground rules are a way that Trump could find a way out of the debates.

"Presidents Trump and Biden are colluding to lock America into a head-to-head match-up that 70% say they do not want," RFK posted on X on Wednesday. "They are trying to exclude me from their debate because they are afraid I would win. Keeping viable candidates off the debate stage undermines democracy."

Donahue said the criteria for these debates is the same as the Commission on Presidential Debates. The person needs to be on the ballot in at least enough states to get 270 electoral votes.

"In a predominant two-party system, the person who is going to have the chance to get 270 electoral votes and win the presidency is going to be Biden or Trump" he said. "RFK Jr. is not someone, at this point, who has any shot at getting any electoral votes, let alone 270 electoral votes."

The first debate is set for June 27 on CNN, before the conventions. The second, Sept. 10 on ABC, just weeks before voters head to the polls on Election Day.