I think most of us saw this coming.
The presidential debate between President Trump and Joe Biden has been canceled by the Commission on Presidential Debates.
Earlier in the week, the Commission said the debate would be virtual being the President contracted the Coronavirus.
Trump opted out of the debate after finding out the debate would be virtual and is quoted saying “It would be a waste of time”.
The Commission on Presidential Debates has cancelled the second debate between Donald Trump and Joe Biden after the President declined to do a virtual debate.
— David P Gelles (@gelles) October 9, 2020
Second US presidential debate officially cancelled https://t.co/ELBaILkuqY
— ABC News (@abcnews) October 9, 2020
Next week's virtual debate between @JoeBiden and @realDonaldTrump has been cancelled.
Trump objected to a virtual format and Biden scheduled a town hall with ABC News.
MORE: https://t.co/rJ5DWTGR8D
— ABC 7 News – WJLA (@ABC7News) October 10, 2020
Our good pals over at Fox News chipped in:
The Commission on Presidential Debates (CPD) has canceled the debate planned for next Thursday, after one day earlier announcing the debate would be virtual.
The face-off planned between President Trump and Democratic nominee Joe Biden was moved to a virtual setting after last Friday the president announced he’d contracted coronavirus.
Trump promptly announced he wouldn’t participate in the virtual format, calling it a “waste of time.”
“It is now apparent there will be no debate on October 15, and the CPD will turn its attention to preparations for the final presidential debate scheduled for October 22,” the CPD said in a statement.
Both candidates have agreed to participate at that debate in-person at Belmont University in Nashville, Tenn., the commission said. Kristen Welker of NBC News will moderate the matchup.
“I’m not going to do a virtual debate,” Trump told Fox Business’ Maria Bartiromo. “I’m not going to waste my time at a virtual debate.”
He added: “We’ll pass on this sad excuse to bail out Joe Biden and do a rally instead.”
BREAKING: Second debate between President Trump and Joe Biden cancelled after Trump declined a virtual debate. Trump: "I'm not Joe Biden. I’m not gonna do a virtual debate behind a computer screen that gives him the answers, because they'll be handing him the answers…" pic.twitter.com/IbvzFMHujE
— Apex World News (@apexworldnews) October 10, 2020
ABC News covered the story too:
The second presidential debate between former Vice President Joe Biden and President Donald Trump was canceled Friday.
The move comes one day after the nonpartisan Commission on Presidential Debates announced the debate would be held virtually, following the president’s diagnosis of and hospitalization for the novel coronavirus.
“On October 8, CPD announced that for the health and safety of all involved, the second presidential debate, scheduled for October 15 in Miami, would be conducted virtually,” the CPD said in a statement, officially announcing the cancellation of the debate. “Subsequently, the campaigns of the two candidates who qualified for participation in the debate made a series of statements concerning their respective positions regarding their willingness to participate in a virtual debate on October 15, and each now has announced alternate plans for that date.”
“It is now apparent there will be no debate on October 15, and the CPD will turn its attention to preparations for the final presidential debate scheduled for October 22,” the CPD added.
It’s best that the second presidential debate got canceled.
I imagine during a virtual debate the moderator would be able to mute the speakers audio and we already know they would try to mute President Trump’s mic first.