CINCINNATI (AP) – An Ohio college cited rising security worries and costs Tuesday as it withdrew as host of the first presidential general election debate, which will move to New York’s Hofstra University.
The shift means the first debate will be in the home state of the two major parties’ presumptive nominees, Republican Donald Trump and Democrat Hillary Clinton.
Wright State University President David Hopkins said the Dayton-area school has a large, open campus and questions about the ability to protect the campus and suburban community during the Sept. 26 debate led to a decision that had “weighed heavily” on him. Recent days have seen the mass killings in Nice, France, and police shootings and other violence in this nation and elsewhere.
“Over the last few weeks, we have had a growing concern about what it would take to guarantee the safety and security … of those on and around our campus,” Hopkins said. He called the expense to do so “daunting.”
The school had earlier said it was spending $5 million to $6 million to put on the debate. Hopkins said the costs with added security could have gotten up to $8 million.