President Donald Trump on Thursday rejected plans for a virtual debate on Oct. 15 with Democratic rival Joe Biden, saying he feels well enough to resume campaign rallies.
The first debate between the two, held last week before Trump disclosed that he had tested positive for the novel coronavirus, descended into chaos with the Republican U.S. president interrupting both Biden and the moderator throughout.
Trump expressed concern that the new virtual format announced by the nonpartisan commission in charge of presidential debates could lead to his microphone getting cut off during the encounter.
“I’m not going to waste my time on a virtual debate, that’s not what debating is all about,” Trump said on a phone interview with Fox Business. “You sit behind a computer and do a debate – it’s ridiculous and then they cut you off whenever they want.”
Trump’s decision marked the latest whiplash development in the presidential race ahead of the Nov. 3 election. Biden leads in nationwide opinion polls but they show a tighter race in many of the battleground states that may decide the election.
Their two running mates, Vice President Mike Pence and Democratic vice presidential nominee Kamala Harris, engaged in a debate on Wednesday evening.
Biden told reporters on Thursday he would follow the recommendations of the debate commission. Biden said he did not know what action he would take if Trump refused to take part.
“We don’t know what the president’s going to do. He changes his mind every second,” Biden added.
Even before becoming infected, Trump had faced criticism for his administration’s response to a pandemic that has killed more than 210,000 Americans – more than any other country – and thrown millions of people out of work.
Trump’s disclosure last Friday that he had tested positive brought the crisis back to the center of the race. The 74-year-old president spent three days in a hospital in Maryland receiving multiple different types of treatment. (Reuters)
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