Super Tuesday has come and gone and we have officially arrived: welcome to the election from hell.
According to the official calendar, the first presidential debate is supposed to take place in September in Texas. But if we were the betting type, we’d put money on the chance that traditional presidential debates won’t happen at all.
And even if they do (readers, make your wagers in the comments), we all know the format: both candidates try to skirt the core of every issue, prioritizing viral jabs over substance. If we get lucky, maybe a bug steals the show. The mainstream press gets their headline, X gets their memes, and by the next afternoon we’ve all moved on.
But real debate is what Americans deserve. Actual debates about actual policies that matter to our lives.
So we’re taking matters into our own hands.
Today, we are thrilled to announce The America Debates, The FP’s series of live debates in cities across the country on some of the most contentious and complex issues facing the nation.
The first debate—Should America Close Its Borders?—will take place April 11 at the Majestic Theatre in Dallas, Texas.
Paid subscribers now have exclusive access to purchase presale tickets before they open to the general public in 24 hours.
Best-selling author Ann Coulter and Sohrab Ahmari, founder and editor of Compact, will argue yes. They will face off against Nick Gillespie, editor-at-large for Reason magazine, and Cenk Uygur, founder of The Young Turks.
Subsequent debates will address AI, foreign policy, and the state of the American dream. Stay tuned for more details.
At The Free Press, passionate, smart, good-faith debate is at the very core of our mission. Our commitment to open conversation is why we partnered with the country’s premier civil liberties organization, the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE), to host our first-ever live debate in Los Angeles last year. More than 1,600 people sold out the theater to watch four women argue for and against the legacy of the sexual revolution.
The success of that first debate—and your enthusiasm—was all the confirmation we needed to double down. We are so proud to partner with FIRE again on this series of national debates.
If you’re anything like us, you’re probably deeply unexcited—and vaguely tormented—by the 2024 presidential candidates. But the issues at stake in this election matter, even if our politics and our media feel broken.
We’re launching The America Debates because we believe that every voter deserves to make up their own minds. The only way to do that is to hear the strongest, most thoughtful arguments on the most urgent issues of the day. We hope to see you there!
We are grateful to our paid subscribers for making this debate, and everything we do at The Free Press, possible. We encourage you to take advantage of the 24 hour presale period by using the access code below.
