Facing mounting pressure that its debate selection criteria excluded every candidate of color, the university canceled its debate late Monday. But the candidates who had not been invited to the USC debate had already made other commitments. AdvertisementUSC officials declined to comment on Tuesday’s developments — as did KABC-TV, one of the broadcast partners of the canceled debate. “We couldn’t get everybody here.”The fact that the candidates excluded from the USC debate couldn’t find a way to participate in Tuesday evening’s alternative forum irritated some people involved in the planning, however. Let’s let the voters truly decide.”The scrapped USC debate was going to be hosted by the institution’s Dornsife Center for the Political Future and co-sponsored by KABC and Univision.

Source: Los Angeles Times March 25, 2026 15:29 UTC