Next week’s presidential debate between President Trump and Joe Biden will be a virtual format. But with the president saying that he would not participate in a virtual format, it is not clear that the debate will take place at all.
“The second presidential debate will take the form of a town meeting, in which the candidates would participate from separate remote locations,” the Commission on Presidential Debates said in a statement Thursday morning about the Oct. 15 event.
The change in format, made “in order to protect the health and safety of all involved with the second presidential debate,” follows the president testing positive for the coronavirus last week just two days after he debated the Democratic presidential nominee, potentially exposing Biden to the virus.
“The town meeting participants and the moderator, Steve Scully, Senior Executive Producer & Political Editor, C-SPAN Networks, will be located at the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County in Miami, Florida. The White House Pool will provide coverage of the second presidential debate,” the commission said.
The Debate Commission statement conspicuously did not include a statement that both campaigns had agreed to the format.
Soon after the announcement, Trump said that he would not participate in the virtual debate.
“No, I’m not going to waste my time on a virtual debate,” the president said in a Fox Business interview Thursday morning. “That’s not what debating is all about. You sit behind a computer and do a debate. It’s ridiculous and then they cut you off whenever you want.”
The Biden campaign, though, said that the former vice president and Democratic presidential nominee would participate.
“Biden looks forward to speaking directly to the American people and comparing his plan for bringing the country together and building back better with Donald Trump’s failed leadership on the coronavirus,” said Biden’s deputy campaign manager Kate Bedingfield.
Earlier this week, Biden said that the debate should not be held if Trump still has the virus.
Biden said that he was “looking forward to being able to debate” the president, but that they need to “follow very strict guidelines.”
