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| NFL denies sending Donald Trump a letter about debate schedule | NFL denies sending Donald Trump a letter about debate schedule |
| (25 days later) | |
| The dates for this year’s three presidential debates have been in place for a year and “will serve the American public well”, the Commission on Presidential Debates said in a statement on Sunday in response to criticism from Donald Trump. | The dates for this year’s three presidential debates have been in place for a year and “will serve the American public well”, the Commission on Presidential Debates said in a statement on Sunday in response to criticism from Donald Trump. |
| The Republican presidential nominee wants two of the three debates moved to avoid clashing with televised NFL games. On Sunday, he also said his opponent would prefer such a clash, saying: “Hillary Clinton wants to be against the NFL.” | The Republican presidential nominee wants two of the three debates moved to avoid clashing with televised NFL games. On Sunday, he also said his opponent would prefer such a clash, saying: “Hillary Clinton wants to be against the NFL.” |
| Outlining his argument on ABC’s This Week, Trump said: “Well, I tell you what I don’t like. It’s against two NFL games. I got a letter from the NFL saying this is ridiculous … because the NFL doesn’t want to go against the debates because the debates are going to be pretty massive, from what I understand.” | Outlining his argument on ABC’s This Week, Trump said: “Well, I tell you what I don’t like. It’s against two NFL games. I got a letter from the NFL saying this is ridiculous … because the NFL doesn’t want to go against the debates because the debates are going to be pretty massive, from what I understand.” |
| He added: “And I don’t think we should be against the NFL. I don’t know how the dates were picked. I don’t know why those particular dates.” | He added: “And I don’t think we should be against the NFL. I don’t know how the dates were picked. I don’t know why those particular dates.” |
| On Saturday, in a statement emailed to the Guardian, the NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy said: “While we would obviously wish the debate commission could find another night, we did not send a letter to Mr Trump.” | On Saturday, in a statement emailed to the Guardian, the NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy said: “While we would obviously wish the debate commission could find another night, we did not send a letter to Mr Trump.” |
| The Commission on Presidential Debates is a nonpartisan body, established in 1987. In its statement, it said it was impossible to avoid all sporting events when scheduling debates, and added that presidential debates have never been rescheduled because of conflicts with sporting events. | The Commission on Presidential Debates is a nonpartisan body, established in 1987. In its statement, it said it was impossible to avoid all sporting events when scheduling debates, and added that presidential debates have never been rescheduled because of conflicts with sporting events. |
| The 2016 debates are set for Monday 26 September at Hofstra University in New York; Sunday 9 October at Washington University, St Louis; and Wednesday 19 October at the University of Nevada in Las Vegas. The vice-presidential debate is on Tuesday 4 October, at Longwood University in Farmville, Virginia. The election is on 8 November. | The 2016 debates are set for Monday 26 September at Hofstra University in New York; Sunday 9 October at Washington University, St Louis; and Wednesday 19 October at the University of Nevada in Las Vegas. The vice-presidential debate is on Tuesday 4 October, at Longwood University in Farmville, Virginia. The election is on 8 November. |
| The NFL schedule has the Atlanta Falcons at the New Orleans Saints on 26 September and a full programme of games on 9 October. | The NFL schedule has the Atlanta Falcons at the New Orleans Saints on 26 September and a full programme of games on 9 October. |
| In its statement, the commission said: “As a point of reference, in a four-year period, there are four general election debates … and approximately 1,000 NFL games.” | In its statement, the commission said: “As a point of reference, in a four-year period, there are four general election debates … and approximately 1,000 NFL games.” |
| “You know,” Trump said on ABC, “Hillary Clinton wants to be against the NFL … maybe like she did with Bernie Sanders where they were on Saturday nights when nobody’s home.” | “You know,” Trump said on ABC, “Hillary Clinton wants to be against the NFL … maybe like she did with Bernie Sanders where they were on Saturday nights when nobody’s home.” |
| Supporters of Sanders claimed that the Democratic National Committee deliberately scheduled its primary debates out of primetime, to shield Clinton, a perception deepened by the release of internal DNC emails after a hack which the Clinton campaign and federal investigators believe was carried out by Russian intelligence services. Trump and his campaign have denied any link to such Russian actors. | Supporters of Sanders claimed that the Democratic National Committee deliberately scheduled its primary debates out of primetime, to shield Clinton, a perception deepened by the release of internal DNC emails after a hack which the Clinton campaign and federal investigators believe was carried out by Russian intelligence services. Trump and his campaign have denied any link to such Russian actors. |
| Other top Republicans insisted on Sunday that the schedule remained open for debate. Trump’s campaign chair, Paul Manafort, told NBC’s Meet the Press: “Look, we’re going to sit down with the commission and talk with them. | Other top Republicans insisted on Sunday that the schedule remained open for debate. Trump’s campaign chair, Paul Manafort, told NBC’s Meet the Press: “Look, we’re going to sit down with the commission and talk with them. |
| “Again, the DNC [email] hack showed you that the Clinton campaign was working to schedule debates against Sanders which ha[d] the least possible viewing audience. Mr Trump [is] saying, ‘Look, we want the maximum viewing audience.’ So I’m not sure, you know, what the dates are going to be ultimately. | “Again, the DNC [email] hack showed you that the Clinton campaign was working to schedule debates against Sanders which ha[d] the least possible viewing audience. Mr Trump [is] saying, ‘Look, we want the maximum viewing audience.’ So I’m not sure, you know, what the dates are going to be ultimately. |
| “Mr Trump has made it very clear as recently as Friday: he wants the debates. He wants them to have the largest audience. And we’re going to work with the commission to try and identify what those dates are. | “Mr Trump has made it very clear as recently as Friday: he wants the debates. He wants them to have the largest audience. And we’re going to work with the commission to try and identify what those dates are. |
| “But we’re not going to fall to Hillary Clinton and the ploy that she did against Bernie Sanders of trying to have the lowest-viewing audience. We want the biggest.” | “But we’re not going to fall to Hillary Clinton and the ploy that she did against Bernie Sanders of trying to have the lowest-viewing audience. We want the biggest.” |
| The Republican National Committee chair, Reince Priebus, also said the GOP was “going to be working with the commission”, and said Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday nights would attract more viewers. | The Republican National Committee chair, Reince Priebus, also said the GOP was “going to be working with the commission”, and said Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday nights would attract more viewers. |
| Speaking to CBS’s Face the Nation, Priebus said: “We’re not going to agree with anything that our nominee doesn’t agree with.” | Speaking to CBS’s Face the Nation, Priebus said: “We’re not going to agree with anything that our nominee doesn’t agree with.” |