President Donald Trump’s campaign has called for the second presidential debate to happen one week later, and push back the third debate for another week.
Bill Stepien, Trump 2020 campaign manager, sent the following statement to the Deseret News.
“The American people should not be deprived of the chance to see the two candidates for president debate face to face two more times just because the Commission on Presidential Debates wants to protect Joe Biden. It remains extremely suspect that the CPD announced the brand new virtual format at 7:30 a.m. ET today immediately after Vice President Mike Pence had just wiped the floor with Senator Kamala Harris. Clearly the commission wanted to shift attention away from Pence’s complete victory. As President Trump said, a virtual debate is a non-starter and would clearly be a gift to Biden because he would be relying on his teleprompter from his basement bunker. Voters should have the opportunity to directly question Biden’s 47-year failed record of leadership. We agree that this should happen on October 22, and accordingly, the third debate should then be shifted back one week to October 29. The CPD and the media cannot hide Joe Biden forever. Americans deserve to hear directly from both presidential candidates on these dates, October 22 and 29.”
Democratic nominee Joe Biden’s campaign previously asked for the debate to be moved to Oct. 22, according to The New York Times. The third presidential debate was originally scheduled for Oct. 22 in Nashville.
- “Given the president’s refusal to participate on Oct. 15, we hope the debate commission will move the Biden-Trump town hall to Oct. 22, so that the president is not able to evade accountability,” Kate Bedingfield, a Biden deputy campaign manager, said in a statement, according to The New York Times.
Biden’s team reportedly rejected moving the third debate.
A virtual debate?
Earlier Thursday, the Commission on Presidential Debates said Thursday the next presidential debate will take place virtually — but it might not happen at all.
The commission invited both President Donald Trump and Democratic nominee Joe Biden to participate in the next debate remotely. Moderator Steve Scully of C-SPAN would host the event from the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts in Miami on Oct. 15, which was always the plan. But Biden and Trump would participate remotely.
- The decision was made after Trump was diagnosed with the coronavirus. He was hospitalized over the weekend and is now not experiencing symptoms, according to his doctors.
Trump did not accept the invitation during an interview with Fox Business on Thursday.
- “No I’m not going to waste my time on a virtual debate, that’s not what debating is all about. You sit behind a computer and do a debate it’s ridiculous and then they cut you off whenever they want.”
- “I have a host, too, I always thought was a nice guy, but I see is a never Trumper, you know, came out that he’s a never Trumper.”
The Biden campaign accepted the invitation.
- “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,” deputy campaign manager Kate Bedingfield said, according to CNN.
Trump campaign manager Bill Stepien further declined the commission’s invitation.
- “We’ll pass on this sad excuse to bail out Joe Biden and do a rally instead.”