The presidential debate commission has just announced this morning that the second presidential debate will be virtual:
Commission on Presidential Debates announces 2nd presidential debate will be virtual
— Chad Pergram (@ChadPergram) October 8, 2020
Trump has already weighed in on this with Maria Bartiromo and says a virtual debate is unacceptable and he won’t attend if that’s the way it’s going to be:
President @realDonaldTrump on @debates: I’m not doing a virtual debate, they’re trying to protect Joe Biden pic.twitter.com/Xx1Uhuac16
— Team Trump (Text VOTE to 88022) (@TeamTrump) October 8, 2020
Trump said he’s not going to waste his time with a virtual debate, where you sit behind a computer and they cut you off when they want to. He said that’s ridiculous.
Trump also said he’s learned this morning that the debate moderator, Steve Scully, who he thought was a nice guy is a never Trumper. What I believe he’s referring to is this tweet by Scully from March of 2016:
No, Not Trump, Not Ever https://t.co/PFvHTeQSZu
— Steve Scully (@SteveScully) March 18, 2016
Trump’s campaign manager has also released a message confirming that if the debate stays virtual, Trump will not attend, noting there’s no reason for a virtual debate because Trump will have had multiple negative tests by the time of the debate.
— Erin Perrine (@ErinMPerrine) October 8, 2020