CNN denies Biden’s debate seating request

CNN has refuted a claim made by a right-leaning news outlet and promoted by former President Donald Trump’s allies, alleging that President Joe Biden’s campaign sought to alter the terms of the June 27 debate to allow him to sit down during the 90-minute event. This is seen as part of a broader strategy by Trump’s supporters to raise concerns about Biden’s age.

The Washington Reporter, a right-leaning political news outlet founded by Republican political consultants, tweeted that two anonymous sources, including one from CNN, stated that the Biden campaign is trying to renegotiate the debate rules to allow Biden to be seated. This tweet was shared by several prominent Republicans, including Rep. Elise Stefanik and Sens. Mike Lee, Eric Schmitt, and Josh Hawley, who questioned Biden’s ability to stand for 90 minutes but still be fit to be President.

However, CNN has denied this claim, stating that it is not accurate. The network clarified that both Biden and Trump agreed to CNN’s proposed format when they accepted the invitation to debate.

Concerns about Biden’s mental fitness, along with his tendency for gaffes and occasional awkward behavior in public, have been persistent throughout his campaign. His opponents have often tried to capitalize on these concerns by spreading false or misleading information.

The upcoming 90-minute debate, hosted by CNN from its Atlanta studios on June 27, will be moderated by Jake Tapper and Dana Bash and will have no studio audience. It is likely that Trump and Biden will be the only candidates on stage, as independent candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has not yet met the criteria for ballot access in enough states to secure the 270 electoral votes needed to win the presidency. Kennedy has qualified for access in six states with a combined total of 89 electoral votes.

According to a February Quinnipiac University poll, 67% of voters believe Biden is too old to serve another term, compared to 57% who feel the same about Trump. Biden, 81, is the oldest president in U.S. history, and Trump, if re-elected, would be the second oldest. Both candidates have faced increased scrutiny on the campaign trail for their verbal missteps, factual errors, and awkward moments, as their campaigns have attacked each other’s mental acuity.

Trump and his allies have shared selectively edited videos to amplify these concerns, including a clip that made it appear as though Biden had wandered away from a group of G7 leaders during a skydiving demonstration, when in fact he was congratulating a parachutist nearby. Another video showed Biden hovering in a sitting position for a few seconds, which was misconstrued as an attempt to sit in a “nonexistent chair,” when the full video actually showed him waiting for a speaker to finish before taking a seat.

Despite these criticisms, some concerns about Biden’s mental fitness come from serious sources. Special Counsel Robert Hur, in a report on Biden’s handling of classified documents, described him as a “well-meaning elderly man with a poor memory,” noting that Biden forgot key dates in an interview conducted by Hur’s office.