President Donald Trump, in his first interview since his positive coronavirus test, told Fox Business’ Maria Bartiromo on Thursday that he will not participate in the next debate, just minutes after the Commission on Presidential Debates announced the showdown, slated for Oct. 15, will be virtual, Fox News informed.
The CPD announced early Tuesday that “the second presidential debate will take the form of a town meeting, in which the candidates would participate from separate remote locations.” Steve Scully of C-SPAN is still set to moderate the second presidential debate from Miami.
But, in a Fox Business interview Thursday, the President said he would not take part in a virtual debate.
“The commission changed the debate style and that’s not acceptable to us,” Trump said on “Mornings with Maria.” “I beat him in the first debate, I beat him easily.”
The President added that he expected to “beat him in the second debate also.”
“I’m not going to do a virtual debate,” Trump went on. “I’m not going to waste my time at a virtual debate.”
Biden responded to Trump’s claims while talking to reporters in Delaware on Thursday.
“We don’t know what the president is going to do, he changes his mind every second so for me to comment on that now would be irresponsible,” Biden said. “I’m going to follow the commission recommendations.”
During his interview on Thursday, the President said he wasn’t going to “sit at a computer” to debate, calling it “ridiculous.”
“They’re trying to protect Biden,” Trump said. “Everybody is.”
Moments later, Trump campaign manager Bill Stepien said the CPD was rushing to Biden’s “defense by unilaterally canceling an in-person debate,” calling it “pathetic.”
“That’s not what debates are about or how they’re done,” Stepien said. “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.”
He added: “We’ll pass on this sad excuse to bail out Joe Biden and do a rally instead.”
But the Biden campaign seemingly accepted the rules change early Thursday.
“Vice President 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 that has thrown the strong economy he inherited into the worst downturn since the Great Depression,” Biden’s deputy campaign manager Kate Bedingfield said in a statement.
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