2nd Presidential Debate Will Be Virtual, Trump Refuses

The Commission on Presidential Debates announced that the second presidential debate will move to a virtual setting.

Almost immediately after the Thursday morning announcement, President Donald Trump said he refused to participate.

I'm not going to do a virtual debate. No, I'm not going to waste my time with a virtual debate.

While Trump turned down the proposed virtual debate during an interview with FOX Business, the Biden campaign confirmed that the former vice president will participate in the virtual debate event.

Vice President Biden looks forward to speaking directly to the American people and comparing his plan for bringing the country together and building back better with Donald Trump's failed leadership on the coronavirus that has thrown the strong economy he inherited into the worst downturn since the Great Depression.

The scheduled debate will still take place on the originally planned date of October 15 but "in order to protect the health and safety of all involved," the CPD says "candidates would participate remotely from separate locations."

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As previously planned the debate will be moderated by Steve Scully at the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts in Miami, Florida. According to his interview with FOX News, the president was not aware of changes before the announcement came down just moments ago.

The decision to go virtual comes after President Trump's COVID-19 diagnosis late last week, which required the commander in chief to be hospitalized at Walter Reed Medical Center for a few days before returning to the White House on Monday.