Donald Trump says he won’t take part in virtual debate with Joe Biden
- US president complains his microphone could be cut off under new format, as organisers seek to move event online after his coronavirus diagnosis
- Trump and Biden campaigns propose pushing second debate back one week, but cannot agree on whether to hold third event
President Donald Trump added more turbulence on Thursday to the US presidential race by refusing to participate in an October 15 debate with Democratic rival Joe Biden after it was changed to a virtual event to guard against the spread of Covid-19, prompting Biden to book a solo televised town hall-style event instead.
Trump, who was hospitalised for three days after disclosing last Friday that he had tested positive for the coronavirus, blasted the format change announced by the non-partisan commission in charge of the debates and expressed concern that his microphone could be cut off. Trump, still receiving Covid-19 treatment, also said he wanted to resume campaign rallies.
“I’m not going to waste my time on a virtual debate. That’s not what debating is all about,” Trump said in a nearly hour-long 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.”
Following the Republican president’s comments, the Biden and Trump campaigns both proposed pushing back the debate – which had been planned as the second of three – until October 22, the date of what was scheduled as their final encounter before the November 3 election. Trump’s campaign also proposed holding another debate on Oct. 29, which Biden’s campaign rejected.
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Trump returns to the White House after only three days in hospital for Covid-19 treatment
“Trump’s erratic behaviour does not allow him to rewrite the calendar, and pick new dates of his choosing,” said Kate Bedingfield, Biden’s deputy campaign manager.