Second presidential debate to be virtual, but Trump says he won’t be there

The Commission on Presidential Debates announced Thursday that the second presidential debate between President Donald Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden will take place virtually after the president’s diagnosis of COVID-19.

However, whether it will take place at all is in doubt, as Trump said minutes after the announcement that he will not participate.

“I’m not going to waste my time,” Trump told Fox Business anchor Maria Bartiromo on Thursday morning.

Trump said he had no interest in a virtual debate and that his campaign was not notified of the change in the format in advance of the announcement.

“We learned about it the same way you did,” Trump said.

According to a statement from the CPD, the move was made “in order to protect the health and safety of all involved with the second presidential debate.”

Biden’s campaign issued a statement after the announcement saying their candidate would participate in a virtual debate.

Trump’s campaign manager Bill Stepien issued this statement Thursday, “President Trump won the first debate despite a terrible and biased moderator in Chris Wallace, and everybody knows it.

"For the swamp creatures at the Presidential Debate Commission to now rush to Joe Biden’s defense by unilaterally canceling an in-person debate is pathetic. That’s not what debates are about or how they’re done.

"Here are the facts: President Trump will have posted multiple negative tests prior to the debate, so there is no need for this unilateral declaration. The safety of all involved can easily be achieved without canceling a chance for voters to see both candidates go head to head.

"We’ll pass on this sad excuse to bail out Joe Biden and do a rally instead.”

The second debate is scheduled to be a town hall-type event, with audience participants asking the candidates questions.

The candidates will “participate from separate remote locations,” the Commission’s statement said. The participants and the moderator will be in Miami.

Trump was diagnosed with the COVID-19 infection last week, two days after the first presidential debate. Prior to the Thursday morning announcement, Trump had tweeted that he expected to be in Miami for the debate and said, “It will be great!”

Biden said on Wednesday that he did not think he and Trump should have a debate if Trump tested positive for the virus prior to the scheduled Oct. 15 event.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, those with mild to moderate symptoms of COVID-19 can be contagious for at least 10 days. Those diagnosed with the virus should isolate for at least 10 days as well.

Cox Media Group