The 2024 presidential election debate scheduled to take place at the University of Utah was scrapped in May when Republican Donald Trump and Democrat Joe Biden agreed to a pair of televised debates ahead of Election Day. With Biden’s exit from the race, there are some flickers of hope that Utah could once again snag a pre-election debate.
Last year, the University of Utah was selected by the nonpartisan Commission on Presidential Debates as the host for the third and final presidential debate on Oct. 9. Those plans were scrapped when Trump and Biden bypassed the commission in favor of a pair of independent debates in June and September. Biden’s disastrous performance in the June debate started the chain of events that led to him withdrawing from the race on Sunday.
Vice President Kamala Harris, the presumptive Democratic nominee, says she is ready to debate Trump and is planning to participate in the second debate, but Trump has waffled.
On Tuesday, Trump said he was “willing” to debate Harris more than once, Politico reported. His campaign backed off on Thursday, saying they would not agree to any debates until Harris officially became the Democratic nominee next month, according to The New York Times.
Former state Sen. Scott Howell, a Democrat, told The Salt Lake Tribune that uncertainty could provide an opening for Utah. During an interview on The Tribune’s “This Week in Utah Politics” podcast, Howell said the U. was already planning to host a presidential debate, so it makes sense to make another pitch as host.
“I can’t see why some influential people, including the governor, can’t get together and say, ‘We have a venue. We have the security. We’ve started on the infrastructure. Will you come to Utah and have a presidential debate?’” Howell said.
The U.’s Hinckley Institute of Politics Director Jason Perry, who has led efforts to bring debates to Utah, did not respond to a request to comment on whether the university was aiming to bring 2024 debate back to the Beehive State.
Earlier this year, the university asked lawmakers for $6.5 million to pay for security, infrastructure and other needed upgrades. Lawmakers refused to fund that request.
In 2020, the U. hosted the only debate between then-Vice President Mike Pence and Harris. Lawmakers provided $1.5 million in public funds to help pay for that event. Because of private fundraising, the U. returned $500,000 to the state.
