Does the US still need presidential debates?

President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump recently came to a surprising, though possibly tenuous, agreement to revamp the presidential debate cycle this year. Breaking away from the Commission on Presidential Debates, Biden and Trump will face off on June 27 and September 10 in debates hosted by CNN and ABC, respectively.

Yet a number of people are questioning whether these events are necessary or even useful. Recent presidential debates have rightly been criticised for being poorly managed free-for-all events in which candidates – especially Donald Trump – have run roughshod over moderators while spewing talking points and falsehoods without being fact-checked. While these criticisms are valid, the misgivings among voters for each of these two candidates make the presidential debates a uniquely important opportunity.

Biden and Trump head into this election with unprecedented and growing political baggage: an octogenarian and an autocrat, an alleged enabler of war crimes and a convicted criminal. At the end of the day, both candidates need these debates to attempt to redeem themselves and their candidacies. They will have the chance to defend and comport themselves as they face off with one another and a set of moderators later today and again in September. And for many reluctant or undecided voters, these debates may become particularly pivotal in deciding which candidate to support, even if many view it as an exercise in choosing the least bad option.