@realDonaldTrump says Debate Commission trying to assist Biden by moving debate to virtual format. @gatewaypundit pic.twitter.com/lmXd3vdbaG
— Joe Hoft (@joehoft) October 8, 2020
President Trump announced he will not be participating in the next presidential debate this morning. The announcement comes in the wake of the Presidential Election Commission, the body responsible for setting presidential debate rules, changing the format of the next debate to a completely virtual one.
The next debate was set to take place one week from today in Miami, FL, and had been planned as a town-hall format event.
The change is due to the President’s Covid19-positive diagnosis, but was made without any consultation with the White House.
“I’m not going to waste my time on a virtual debate. It’s not what debating is all about,” Trump told the Fox Business Channel this morning. “It’s ridiculous.”
“For the swamp creatures at the Presidential Debate Commission to now rush to Joe Biden’s defense by unilaterally cancelling an in-person debate is pathetic,” a statement released this morning by Bill Stepien, Trump 2020 campaign manager, read.
“The safety of all involved can easily be achieved without canceling 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,” it added.