Trump rejects virtual debate with Biden
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The fate of the upcoming presidential debates were thrown into jeopardy on Thursday after U.S. President Donald Trump vowed not to participate in a second debate after learning the next one would be held virtually, prompting Biden to book a solo televised town hall-style event instead on October 15 - hosted by ABC News.
(TRUMP) "No, I'm not gonna waste my time on a virtual debate”
Trump, who on Monday was released after three days of being hospitalized with COVID-19, told Fox Business the format change announced by the nonpartisan commission in charge of the debates was 'unacceptable.'
"You sit behind a computer and do a debate - it’s ridiculous, and then they cut you off whenever they want,”
His campaign then said it's open to a debate with Democratic rival Joe Biden if it's postponed by a week to October 22 and held in person.
The Trump team also suggested holding what would be a third debate on October 29, a proposal the Biden campaign rejected, saying the one on the 22nd should be the last ahead of the November election.
Amid the tit-for-tat between the two campaigns, Biden said he would hold off on commenting.
"We don't know what the president's going to do. He changes his mind every second."
The first Trump-Biden debate, held last week before Trump disclosed on Friday that he had tested positive for the novel coronavirus, descended into chaos with the Republican president interrupting both Biden and the moderator throughout.
Even as the fate of the final debates was thrown into uncertainty, Trump appears eager to get back on the campaign trail.
(TRUMP) “I don’t think I’m contagious at all.”
On Thursday, Trump told Fox Business Network's Maria Bartiromo that he's no longer infectious, though that contention was not yet backed up by solid evidence from his doctors.
U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines say people who are severely ill with COVID-19 might need to stay home for up to 20 days after symptoms first appear. The White House has not provided detailed information on the severity of Trump’s illness.
The election is less than a month away and Trump appears to be running out of time to persuade voters, facing polls that show him trailing Biden nationally and in some battleground states.
