Joe Biden slammed President Trump on Thursday morning for refusing to participate in the next debate after the Commission on Presidential Debates announced it would be held virtually instead of the candidates being together on a stage before a live audience.
“You never know what’s going to come out of his mouth,” Biden said.
On Wednesday, Trump’s doctor said the president showed no symptoms of COVID-19 and appeared to have antibodies for the virus. But the debate commmission decided Thursday that the townhall-style debate in Miami scheduled for Oct. 15 will now be held with the candidates in separate locations.
Trump responded later Thursday morning in an interview with Fox Business’ Maria Bartiromo.
“The commission changed the debate style and that’s not acceptable to us,” Trump said on “Mornings with Maria.”
“I’m not going to do a virtual debate,” Trump said. “I’m not going to waste my time at a virtual debate.”
A virtual debate, he said, would require him to “sit behind a computer,” and the moderator could “cut you off whenever they want.”
Biden was asked about Trump’s response by reporters Thursday morning.
“We don’t know what the president is going to do, he changes his mind every second so for me to comment on that now would be irresponsible,” Biden said. “I think that if — I’m going to follow the commission recommendations. If he goes off and he’s going to have a rally, I’ll — I don’t know what I’ll do.”
The head of the debate commission, Frank Fahrenkopf, told CNN that the commission spoke with both campaigns “just before” they announced the change in format.
“We did not consult with them,” he said.
The decision, Fahrenkopf said, was supported by the commissions health advisers, the Cleveland Clinic.
Biden campaign spokeswoman Kate Bedingfield said the Democratic nominee would be happy to do a virtual debate.
But if Trump won’t participate, she said, Biden “will find an appropriate place to take questions from voters directly on October 15th.”
Bedingfield asked the commission to make the third scheduled debate, Oct. 22, a townhall format so that “the president is not able to evade accountability.”
“The voters should have a chance to ask questions of both candidates, directly,” she said.
Trump’s campaign manager, Bill Stepien, accused the commission of “unilaterally canceling an in-person debate” to help Biden.
He said the president will be hold a rally instead of attending the debate.
