In his first interview since his coronavirus diagnosis, President Trump told Fox Business’ Maria Bartiromo that he would not participate in the next debate with Joe Biden. This was right after the Commission on Presidential Debates announced the debate, scheduled for Oct. 15, will be virtual.
President Trump responded by saying, “The commission changed the debate style, and that’s not acceptable to us…I beat him in the first debate…I beat him easily.”
He continued by saying he is not going to waste his time on a virtual debate with Joe Biden:
“I’m not going to do a virtual debate…I’m not going to waste my time at a virtual debate.”
"I'm not going to waste my time on a virtual debate" — Trump, on with Maria Bartiromo, begins his first post-coronavirus interview by saying he's pulling out of the second debate. (He sounds a little hoarse.) pic.twitter.com/R43JSszfll
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) October 8, 2020
Of course, the Biden campaign appeared to be accepting of the rules change:
“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.”
Is the Commission protecting Biden by calling for a virtual debate? We think so.
The statement from the Trump campaign:
Just yesterday, White House physician Dr. Sean Conley said that the president has been “fever-free” for four days and has not had symptoms of the coronavirus for 24 hours. He would have been tested before the debate with Joe Biden.