The Commission on Presidential Debates is pressing forward with plans to hold one more in-person debate between President Trump and Democratic nominee Joe Biden.
Frank Fahrenkopf, the co-chairman of the debate commission, said the final debate in Nashville, Tennessee, between the two candidates is scheduled to be in person but could be subject to change based on social distancing recommendations due to the coronavirus pandemic.
“Right now, the intent is that it would be in person,” Fahrenkopf said of the debate on CNN. “But that again will depend on the medical advice we receive as to whether or not it would be safe to do so. And it wouldn’t really make much difference whether or not it’s a town hall meeting or it’s the regular one-on-one with podiums. It’s going to depend on the health issue. And that is what’s going to guide us. If there’s a health problem, then we’ll probably suggest that we go virtual. But we just have to see. It’s too early to tell how that’s going to work out.”
Earlier, Fahrenkopf said the Biden campaign would be willing to do the final debate in person.
Fahrenkopf said the commission is pressing forward with its scheduled second debate in Miami, Florida, though its move to make the debate virtual prompted the president to declare he won’t be participating.
“I’m not going to waste my time on a virtual debate. That’s not what debating is all about,” Trump said.
However, Fahrenkopf said the event isn’t canceled because the Trump campaign has not reached out to him about withdrawing from the debate.
“When the president rejected doing the debate next week, the Biden campaign immediately said that they were going to withdraw from it, and they arranged at another network a town hall meeting. We haven’t heard back yet from the Trump campaign as to exactly what they’re going to do.”
On Thursday, ABC News announced that Biden would participate in a solo, in-person town hall event to take questions with host George Stephanopoulos and a former top aide to President Bill Clinton.
The third debate is scheduled for Oct. 22 at Belmont University. NBC News White House correspondent Kristen Welker is also scheduled to moderate the debate.
