Per reporting by Politico, it appears as though going forward, Republican presidential candidates will no longer appear at debates hosted by the Commission on Presidential Debates. For three decades, this has been the main live event as we know it, a chance for the two candidates to hash it out live and unscripted.
The ramifications of this are not fully apparent, though its safe to say this may be the end of the famous national viewing of the two candidates going at it. Just how impactful these televised debates are in the modern day is a subject of debate, although given changes brought by the pandemic, that impact may be waning.
Because of the coronavirus pandemic, many states implemented widespread early voting and mail-in voting, which led to a significant portion of the electorate casting ballots prior to the first presidential debate.
One thing that is clear however, is that this is another attempt by the GOP apparatchiks, to avoid unpleasant and uncontrollable settings for the eventual candidate, and to avoid them being put in a situation where they may have to answer uncomfortable questions, or be held to account for the monstrous actions and policies perpetrated by the modern GOP.
Personally, I think this is only going to be harmful to public discourse, and is just another attempt by the rich and unaccountable to keep hiding from the spotlight.