US President Donald Trump on Thursday, October 8, said that he would not participate in the second televised debate with Democratic nominee, Joe Biden, next week after the commission responsible for producing the debate forums announced that it will be conducted virtually due to the Coronavirus pandemic.
Trump said “I’m not going to waste my time on the virtual debate. That’s not what debating is all about. You sit behind a computer and do a debate. It’s ridiculous, and then they cut you off whenever they want.”
Trump’s remarks come after the Commission on Presidential Debates(CPD) revealed Thursday morning that the town hall-style event on Oct. 15 would feature the two candidates participating virtually “from separate remote locations.”
According to the CPD, the town hall participants and moderator Steve Scully of C-SPAN will be located as planned at the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts in Miami.
The shift to a virtual format was necessitated due to Trump’s recovery from Covid-19 at the White House, days after being discharged from Walter Reed National Military Medical centre.