Conducting the next presidential debate in a virtual format is a “perfectly reasonable idea,” Fox News host Chris Wallace said Wednesday.
“One of these guys has COVID,” Wallace told “The Brian Kilmeade Show.”
“I know he says that he’s cured. I know he says that he doesn’t have COVID anymore, but, the White House has not told us that he is negative. All the scientists say that it is 14 days, which would be within the window of next Thursday’s debate,” Wallace said.
President Trump, in his first interview since his positive coronavirus test, told FOX Business’ Maria Bartiromo on Thursday that he will not participate in the next debate just minutes after the Commission on Presidential Debates announced the showdown, slated for Oct. 15, will be virtual.
The CPD announced early Thursday that “the second presidential debate will take the form of a town meeting, in which the candidates would participate from separate remote locations.” Steve Scully of C-SPAN is still set to moderate the second presidential debate from Miami.
But, in the FOX Business interview, the president said he would not take part in a virtual debate.
“The commission changed the debate style and that’s not acceptable to us,” Trump said on “Mornings with Maria.” “I beat him in the first debate, I beat him easily.”
The president added that he expected to “beat him in the second debate also.”
“I’m not going to do a virtual debate,” Trump went on. “I’m not going to waste my time at a virtual debate.”
Biden responded to Trump’s claims while talking to reporters in Delaware.
“We don’t know what the president is going to do, he changes his mind every second so for me to comment on that now would be irresponsible,” Biden said. “I’m going to follow the commission recommendations.”
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Wallace stressed how a virtual debate is a feasible option under the circumstances.
“One guy is in one studio, one guy is in another. The town hall, the citizens that are picked, supposedly undecided voters are there and they can answer the questions,” Wallace said.
Wallace also noted a historic example of a virtual debate.
“Kennedy-Nixon back in 1960 had a virtual debate where they were in separate studios. Why the president, who is behind, according to every poll, double digits, behind nationally, in Florida, in Pennsylvania would decide not to participate, I think is so self-destructive politically, that I can’t believe he isn’t going to change his mind.”
Fox News’ Brooke Singman contributed to this report.
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