Joe Biden’s campaign says he will participate in the second presidential debate that is now scheduled to be a virtual face-off against President Trump.
A Biden campaign statement Thursday made clear the 2020 Democratic nominee and former vice president will take part in the revised format. Trump declared minutes earlier he will not be participating in the Oct. 15 presidential debate given that it is now set to be a virtual event.
The Commission on Presidential Debates released a statement early Thursday that said the “debate will take the form of a town meeting, in which the candidates would participate from separate remote locations.”
The decision to change the format, which the commission said was made “in order to protect the health and safety of all involved with the second presidential debate,” follows president revealing last week that he tested positive for COVID-19 just days after he faced off against Biden in the first debate.
“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,” Biden Deputy Campaign Manager Kate Bedingfield tweeted Thursday.
. @KBeds on debate: 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
— Mike Memoli (@mikememoli) October 8, 2020
The disagreement between campaigns comes after acrimonious exchanges in the first presidential debate last week when Trump repeatedly talked over Biden and moderator Chris Wallace found it difficult to maintain order and decorum.
