Democrat Party front-runner Hillary Clinton has accused opponent Bernie Sanders of "playing games" as he and his aides rejected three potential dates for an additional Democratic debate in New York.
"Over the course of the last week, we have offered three specific dates for a debate in New York, all of which the Sanders campaign rejected," Clinton's national press secretary, Brian Fallon, said on Saturday, adding "The Sanders campaign needs to stop with the games."
The Clinton campaign offered to debate Sanders on Monday at 7.30 p.m., as well as on Thursday, and on ABC News' "Good Morning America" on Friday -- a date and time the Sanders campaign had originally signed off on, Fallon said.
"Senator Sanders and his team should stop the delays and accept a debate on April 14 on the morning of April 15," ABC News quoted Fallon as saying.
However, the Sanders' campaign shot down Monday's debate due to a potential conflict with a National Collegiate Athletic Association's (NCAA) championship game.
"Unfortunately, the dates and venues she (Clinton) has proposed don't make a whole lot of sense," Sanders campaign spokesperson Michael Briggs said, adding "The idea that they want a debate in New York on a night of the NCAA finals -- with Syracuse in the tournament no less -- is ludicrous."
The Sanders campaign added that it has "proposed other dates which they have rejected".
The latest back-and-forth over the Democratic debate schedule began last week when Sanders called for the Clinton campaign to accept a debate in Brooklyn, ahead of New York's primary on April 19.
In January, the Sanders and Clinton campaigns agreed to add four more debates into the schedule, after criticism from many in the Democratic Party, including Sanders, that there were too few debates.
You’ve reached your limit of {{free_limit}} free articles this month.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
Already subscribed? Log in
Subscribe to read the full story →
Smart Quarterly
₹900
3 Months
₹300/Month
Smart Essential
₹2,700
1 Year
₹225/Month
Super Saver
₹3,900
2 Years
₹162/Month
Renews automatically, cancel anytime
Here’s what’s included in our digital subscription plans
Exclusive premium stories online
Over 30 premium stories daily, handpicked by our editors


Complimentary Access to The New York Times
News, Games, Cooking, Audio, Wirecutter & The Athletic
Business Standard Epaper
Digital replica of our daily newspaper — with options to read, save, and share


Curated Newsletters
Insights on markets, finance, politics, tech, and more delivered to your inbox
Market Analysis & Investment Insights
In-depth market analysis & insights with access to The Smart Investor


Archives
Repository of articles and publications dating back to 1997
Ad-free Reading
Uninterrupted reading experience with no advertisements


Seamless Access Across All Devices
Access Business Standard across devices — mobile, tablet, or PC, via web or app
