The next presidential debate will remain a virtual format, casting doubt on whether or not the debate between President Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden will even occur.
Frank Fahrenkopf, the co-chairman of the Commission on Presidential Debates, said on Thursday that the commission would not reverse its decision to hold the debate scheduled for Oct. 15 in a virtual format. Just earlier, Trump campaign manager Bill Stepien urged the debate commission to allow the event to be in person.
“President Trump’s physician, Dr. Sean Conley, says the President will be medically cleared for ‘safe return to public engagements’ by Saturday, five full days before the originally scheduled debate in Miami on October 15. There is therefore no medical reason why the Commission on Presidential Debates should shift the debate to a virtual setting, postpone it, or otherwise alter it in any way,” Stepien said in a statement.
“The American people can see through this obvious attempt to shield Biden from another shellacking like he got two weeks ago in Cleveland and the CPD must reverse course and let the debate proceed,” he continued.
The commission’s move to make the debate virtual prompted the president to declare he won’t be participating. However, Fahrenkopf 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 Thursday 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.”
Fahrenkopf also said the Biden campaign would be willing to do the final debate in person.
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.
