Pelosi Doesn’t Want Any Biden-Trump Debates

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi says she doesn’t think there should be presidential debates this year, arguing Democrat Joe Biden shouldn’t “legitimize a conversation” with President Donald Trump

The Latest: Pelosi doesn’t want any Biden-Trump debatesThe Associated PressWASHINGTON
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Latest on the Republican National Convention (all times local):

12:20 p.m.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi says she doesn’t think there should be presidential debates this year, arguing Democrat Joe Biden shouldn’t “legitimize a conversation” with President Donald Trump.

Pelosi told reporters Thursday she knows she disagrees with Biden on the issue but she believes Trump will “probably act in a way that is beneath the dignity of the presidency” and “belittle what the debates are supposed to be about.” Biden has said he is eager to take on Trump in three debates this fall.

Pelosi says a 2016 debate between Trump and Democrat Hillary Clinton was “disgraceful” as Trump stood close behind Clinton as she spoke, moving into her camera angle. Pelosi says Trump was “stalking” Clinton and should have been told to move away.

Instead, Pelosi suggests the two candidates have individual events where they take questions. She says, “Let that be a conversation with the American people. Not an exercise in skullduggery.”

The nonpartisan Commission on Presidential Debates recently rejected a request from the Trump campaign to either add a fourth general election debate or move up the calendar for the contests. Trump’s campaign said 16 states will have started voting by the time of the first scheduled debate Sept. 29.

Trump is set to accept the Republican presidential nomination Thursday night.

___

12:10 p.m.

President Donald Trump has some business to get out of the way before he accepts the Republican presidential nomination on Thursday night.

The Republican National Committee says the president will raise $10 million for his reelection campaign, the Republican Party and several state GOP committees at a lunchtime event with supporters at his hotel near the White House.

Trump is set to deliver his acceptance speech later Thursday from the White House South Lawn, disregarding longstanding tradition of presidents refraining from using the White House and its grounds for partisan political purposes.

After the fundraiser, Trump will go to Federal Emergency Management Agency headquarters for an update on Hurricane Laura. The storm pounded the Gulf Coast with wind, rain and a wall of seawater after it made landfall overnight.

Democrats nominated Joe Biden at their convention last week.