US President, Donald Trump, has refused to partake in a virtual debate less than an hour after organisers announced that the second presidential debate with Joe Biden would be taking place virtually.
The Commission on Presidential Debates said the decision was made to “protect the health and safety of all involved”, with the president’s positive coronavirus test having come just days after the first debate last week.
The commission had earlier both candidates would appear at the second TV debate, scheduled for next Thursday, from separate locations.
The audience, who typically asked the candidates questions in the town-meeting format, and moderator Steve Scully would have gathered in one spot in Florida, Miami’s Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts, according to the statement by the commission.
However, in an interview shortly after the announcement was made, Mr Trump said, “I’m not going to do a virtual debate.”
The US president alluded that he would not waste his time on a virtual debate organized to “protect” his rival.
“I’m not gonna waste my time on a virtual debate, that’s not what debating is all about. You sit behind a computer and do it, debates? Ridiculous. And then they cut you off whenever they want,” he said.
President Trump also stated that the Commission on Presidential Debates did not tell his campaign of the plan before the announcement and criticised the choice of moderator for the second debate, C-Span’s Steve Scully, who the president described as a “never Trumper”.
The trump campaign has also issued a statement suggesting they would rather organize a rally than partake in the virtual event.
“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 defence by unilaterally cancelling 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 cancelling 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 president’s son, Eric also raised objections based on allegations from the Trump campaign that Joe Biden has been using assistance during the debates.
He tweeted, “Biden’s mouth is watering at the notion of a virtual debate – he will have 12 teleprompters and 14 campaign staffers holding flash cards on the other side of that camera!”
Mr Trump had previously said he looked forward to debating Mr Biden on stage and on 5th October. Mr Biden also announced he would share a stage with Mr Trump as long as medical experts gave the go-ahead.
The President returned to the Oval Office at the White House on 7th October, despite still recovering from COVID-19. His doctors said the president had had no coronavirus symptoms for the past 24 hours.
