Trump says he won't participate in a virtual debate; Biden accepts the commission's offer

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: Washington Post

Trump said in a television interview Thursday that he would not participate in a virtual town hall with Biden, dismissing a format announced less than an hour earlier by the Commission on Presidential Debates.

Trump said he just learned of the decision that the second debate, scheduled for Oct. 15, would be virtual instead of in person in Miami.

"I'm not going to waste my time on a virtual debate. That's not what debating is all about," he said in an interview with Maria Bartiromo on the Fox Business Network.

Shortly afterward, Biden spokeswoman Kate Bedingfield said he welcomes the chance to participate in a virtual debate. “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,” she said in a statement.

Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/elections/2020/10/08/trump-biden-live-updates/#link-KHE2TTPSSNAUTMA5THD33OFK4I

---

Right on cue.

(additional updates now added to the OP)

Original article, headline, and link -

Trump says he won't participate in virtual debate shortly after new format is announced

President Trump said during a television interview that he would not participate in a virtual debate with Democratic nominee Joe Biden, dismissing an announcement less than an hour earlier by the Commission on Presidential Debates about the format change.

The commission said the second presidential debate would be a "virtual town hall" to protect the health of all involved. On Friday, the White House revealed that Trump had tested positive for the coronavirus.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/elections/2020/10/08/trump-biden-live-updates/

[C_U_L8R]

1. What's the matter Trump, chicken?

Last edited Thu Oct 8, 2020, 12:31 PM - Edit history (1)

[lagomorph777]

33. Yup - he forfeits.

[cstanleytech]

49. Well he does eat a lot of KFC I heard.

[DownriverDem]

54. Fine

then give Biden the 1 1/2 hours to speak to the American people.

[Rebl2]

70. Do you

think the commission will do that? I think they should allow it myself.

[Rebl2]

73. Just got

my answer in story below this one.

[AC_Mem]

92. Exactly!

Joe should show up ready to debate. If he has to speak to an empty chair, so be it!

[marble falls]

71. But he is good for a couple of eggs a day ...

[Fritz Walter]

80. How apropos to my nick-name for him

He's a Cowardly-Lyin' Traitor.

From his draft-dodging days until this hour, he has demonstrated his total lack of courage. And unfitness to serve.

[IronLionZion]

2. Trump is afraid to debate Joe and is using COVID as the excuse

considering how badly he failed last time.

[luvtheGWN]

30. Perhaps it's the other way around.

His docs have told him that it's only dexamethasone that's keeping him feeling good, but when they wean him off it (as they must) he won't be in any shape to do a debate, virtual or otherwise.

[lagomorph777]

35. Nah. That's too sciencey.

[thesquanderer]

82. Even if they told him that, he wouldn't believe it. n/t

[cstanleytech]

51. Fail is way to mild of a word for how he did.

[oswaldactedalone]

3. What a looney tune

#VoteHimOut

[RockCreek]

4. So Joe gets a 90 min town hall by himself with voters?

On every major network?
This damn well better be the result.

[elleng]

85. PERFECT!

[soothsayer]

5. I WILL NOT BE PARTICIPATING IN THE NEXT #DEBATE BECAUSE I AM SCARED OF WHAT JOE BIDEN WILL DO TO ME

Link to tweet

?s=21

Donald J. Drumpf
@RealDonalDrumpf
I AM FEELING GREAT, SO STRONG AND UNBEATABLE! I BUT I WILL NOT BE PARTICIPATING IN THE NEXT #DEBATE BECAUSE I AM SCARED OF WHAT JOE BIDEN WILL DO TO ME. THANK YOU!

[ananda]

16. ROFL

[Eyeball_Kid]

56. You forgot to include "LAW AND ORDER!" n/t

[Dopers_Greed]

6. Bunker Boy can't handle a debate where he can't interrupt and act like a clown

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

11. THIS!

[Ferrets are Cool]

37. The real truth.

[PatSeg]

47. Exactly

He can't put on a show (spectacle). Meanwhile, he probably is still too sick to debate anyway, so this is a good excuse to get out of debating.

[Eyeball_Kid]

57. On the timeline, he's getting closer to relapse territory. n/t

[PatSeg]

64. Yep

And I don't think anyone actually saw him yesterday, so I'm assuming he didn't feel or look too good.

[thesquanderer]

86. Yes, he probably looks/feels bad, so uses this as an excuse to not let people see him that way. n/t

[PatSeg]

100. And I have a feeling

that he was already looking for an excuse not to participate.

[usaf-vet]

75. He knows that there would be all kinds of ways to cut his mike and virtual feed if he rants... STFU

.... and follow the agreed-to rules.

What is it with these two Trump & Pence? From day one, they have bent, ignored, and trampled rules.

Pence had no intention of following any rules in last night's debate. He WOULD NOT STFU when his time ran out; he talked over both of the women on the stage.

Both of them have demonstrated by their performances that they think the way to win on Nov 3rd is to ignore anything that gets in their way to steal another election.

To quote Biden and Harris the answer is VOTE!!!

[Dark n Stormy Knight]

88. Exactly this!

All the Rs have is a steamroller of lies & distraction. And they know it.

[LakeArenal]

96. What I couldn't believe is CNN said the were within seconds of equal time. 🤷🏼‍♀️

How can that be???

[icymist]

91. Exactly what I was thinking.

All bullies are cowards at heart.

[pandr32]

94. 100%

[durablend]

7. For someone that needs a gamechanger

He's being awful belligerent.

Unless he knows its in the bag already....

[wnylib]

17. He believes that it is, due to voter

suppression and plans to launch challenges in multiple states. He is confident that the SC will rule in his favor.

In other words, he is confident of stealing the election.

We, of course, cannot let him get away with it.

[johnnyfins]

20. Let him steal it...

They cant steal.the Senate as well. Impeach again and throw his ass out on the street.

[33taw]

23. It takes 2/3 of the senate to remove him. I don't see that happening.

[Roc2020]

8. At this point he is probably

thinking what's the point? can't blame him

[TNNurse]

9. We knew he would find a way out.

[Maeve]

10. He can't dominate, so he won't participate

[bottomofthehill]

12. So be it. I don't need to see a monkeys smear shit on a wall a second time

Already seen it once and was not impressed.

[Tribalceltic]

13. What's the matter Colonel Bonespurs? Chicken?

[Miguelito Loveless]

14. I was looking forward to watching Trump

loaded up with steroids, dextromethorphan, codeine and Adderall.

[BumRushDaShow]

15. I'm sure he'll be releasing plenty of video tweets with just that!

[BootinUp]

18. A collective sigh of relief was heard

Around the world...

[kacekwl]

19. I hope Joe Biden sticks to his guns and refuses to

debate the super spreader in person. Shows judgement and is the right thing to do. God knows how many people in trumps group from staff to photographers to all the other buttkissers around him are infected.

[onetexan]

22. +1 -K&R - no more debates necessary. Way too risky

We do not need to hear from the buffoon anymore. Just move on with GOTV.

[Jarqui]

21. Good

Joe cannot get infected.

Trump misses a long shot opportunity to turn the election that is clearly on a very bad trajectory for Trump. The polling has gotten markedly worse after NYT released his tax info, his terrible debate and super spreader event at the White House - which punctuates how badly he handled the virus issue - a big deal for the electorate. "If he can't protect himself, the White House, the cabinet and the Joint Chiefs, how can he protect us?"

If Trump had an October surprise, you'd think they would have played it with so many Biden voters voting early. Every day that passes, Trump gets deeper into an election hole.

No vaccine is going to become available before the election.

He's in deep trouble with campaign finances.

Looks like his plan is down to Bill Barr and the state legislatures for the steal.

[BumRushDaShow]

24. "Looks like his plan is down to Bill Barr and the state legislatures for the steal."

Don't forget the SCOTUS too.

(although if they want to trigger a civil war out of political expediency given they would still have a majority RW tilt no matter who wins, then they might want to think again and let him go)

[Eyeball_Kid]

59. SCOTUS may have a real problem with this election, if appealed.

A corrupt vote for Trump may be suicidal for SCOTUS. The Judicial Branch could very well lose its power with a dictator in the WH. Trump would then view SCOTUS as in his hip pocket and that the will succumb to his bullying. Further, any decision that they'd subsequently make could be ignored by a second term Trump with no consequence. He'd have the DOJ AND SCOTUS in his hip pocket. That's not good for the country and the Constitution, and SCOTUS knows it.

But the Supreme Court has been used before, 20 years ago. It can happen again with one of those "this should not be used as precedent" declarations, just as when Bush 43 was installed in the White House.

[BumRushDaShow]

74. Since the U.S. is still the largest economy (or at least close to it given China)

one would hope that the very billionaires who have benefited so, would not want to allow such a complete destabilization of this country because the other worldwide consumer markets that they need to support their luxurious habits, are not yet at our level of sheer citizen purchasing power (China's huge population will get there soon but are no way near there yet).

[Thekaspervote]

87. Please stop! That theory has been beat to death here and isn't possible!

https://verdict.justia.com/2020/09/30/no-republicans-cannot-throw-the-presidential-election-into-the-house-so-that-trump-wins

[Dark n Stormy Knight]

89. That article leaves open the possibility that Rs will use such a sleazy gambit

and steal the election.

And maybe the Supreme Court, as newly constituted, would indeed ignore the law and all of its own relevant precedents. Short of that, however... . 

If Rs can, they will. They have proven that. And the excerpt says they can. What am I missing?

[OhioTim]

25. Make Him Sweat

The Biden campaign should have said that they wouldn't debate alone and so would decline to attend. Then Trump would be in a real box because he needs the debate badly, and then would look like a bigger idiot when he crawled back to say he would participate. Watch him twist in the wind.

[BumRushDaShow]

29. Remember, Biden's camp didn't want to play into the GOP narrative

so they had to solidify the Democrats' narrative and clearly frame it in terms of health and safety.

As time passes, more and more WH staff, members of Congress, federal and military employees and brass, big donors, and even ordinary citizens who were in attendance at these events (like those who were at the Gold Star Mothers & Families event), are reported as being infected. And this will further underscore why any debates must be either be virtual from now on or called it off entirely.

[niyad]

42. Welcome to DU

[DinahMoeHum]

26. Trump hates not having a live audience. . .

. . .What is he gonna do, spew his vitriol into empty space?

Besides, in a virtual environment, I believe it's easier to cut the mike if he gets out of hand.

[lagomorph777]

39. I think he likes having a dead audience (after the event).

[logosoco]

27. Another good example that shows

how out of touch trump is with the American people and the reality they are living now.

Many people are conducting business meetings virtually. Many students are attending classes through the use of computers and the Internet.

For him to take the attitude that this is beneath him say so much about the person he is and always has been.

[beachbumbob]

28. Biden needs to insist the debate goes on with or without trump, thats THE BEST

lesson to teach a bully like trump, the show will go without him and Biden gets all that free air time. Then trump will sue to stop the "debate"

[BumRushDaShow]

38. "Then trump will sue to stop the 'debate'"

The danger with triggering him to "sue" only helps to add yet another distraction from getting the Democratic Party policy message out there (and like puppy dogs, the media will report on the "lawsuit" and ignore the campaign events). This inevitably causes people to throw up their hands and say "See? Both sides do it. All they do is fight with each other."

In this environment, the Biden campaign literally needs to be agile enough (business term) to change on the fly (as much as possible given this nightmarish COVID environment), and adapt their strategy by updating their contingency plans to deal with the most freakish of circumstances coming out of the WH, moving forward.

As it is, there is a hurricane that is barreling down on the Gulf Coast and that is going to generate some media attention too. It appears to be following a similar path as Hurricane Laura, which pummeled Lake Charles, LA and completely obliterated the NWS Doppler Radar there. Any movement of the track to the west of there will further impact the most populated area of TX in a bad way (at least in terms of flooding).

By not being quarantined, both Biden and Harris have the freedom to continue to campaign (would love to see Biden in AZ) while you-know-who is still stuck in the WH tweet-storming.

[ananda]

31. OK, I listened to part of his Fox news gig this morning.

Trump is still very sick -- he sounded hoarse and congested.

Also, he's clearly delusional. He actually said that he wants
to do a rally tonight, wanted to do one last night, and get this..
doesn't believe he's contagious.

He said he's still taking the steroids but not Regeneron. Even
with the steroids, which can mask symptoms, he is still
symptomatic.

Damm! He's so unfit....

[BumRushDaShow]

44. From what I recall about the Regeneron

I thought I heard that it was basically a single-dose type of thing (although it is obviously still being trialed). The dose he got was 8 grams (8000 mg) which is pretty huge for a substance like that!

The Remdesivir was a 5-day course through infusion, which should be done by now. All that's left are steroids (whatever combination they choose to use), maybe some type of every-4-hour nebulizer treatment, and oxygen. They could perhaps include some type of NSAID too. I have heard suggestions about possible use of blood-thinners, which have been used in COVID patients due to the clotting the virus tends to initiate.

[ananda]

50. Yes, that makes sense.

And Trump cannot take such a high dose of steroids
much longer without suffering severe effects that
could well lead to death.

[George II]

32. He's high on drugs, and he's still SICK! If you listen to his phone call, his voice was raspy....

....and sounded like his chest was congested.

He may be hospitalized again by next week.

[SmartVoter22]

34. After first debate, Trump expected to bail on debates

Trump follows the "Once Bitten, Twice Shy" rule.
If he has a slight indication he is in trouble, he bails. Runs as fast as he can away.
The debates will now be the problem, they were biased, run by commies or worse yet, mexican rapist immigrants.

Trump cannot debate, he cannot frame a complete sentence and he refuses to learn from his own self-inflicted mistakes.
How would anyone bankrupt a casino more than once? Only a really shady con man or a complete idiot.
We may have both in Trump.

[honest.abe]

36. Good. The debates are pointless.

There are no real undecideds anymore. If there are, they are completely clueless or lying.

[SmartVoter22]

40. Let Alec Baldwin sit in for Trump

The Commission should announce that the debate will proceed, even if Trump will not attend and that because Trump chose to skip out ( or hide) that the commission can replace him with a substitute ( handmaid surrogate).

To refuse to participate in a Presidential debate will cost the GOP more seats in the House and will effect some of the Senate races.

Trump is taking his first 'scorched earth' plan on his upcoming rejection by the American people.

[CoryTrevor]

41. Best part is the statement from Stepien

“The safety of all involved can easily be achieved without canceling a chance for voters to see both candidates go head-to-head,” Mr. Stepien said in a statement. “We’ll pass on this sad excuse to bail out Joe Biden and do a rally instead.”

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/08/business/media/trump-biden-debate-virtual.html

[honest.abe]

46. Huh?? A virtual debate is head-to-head.

There is no need to be in the same room to debate. Recall Kennedy/Nixon where they were separated by 3000 miles and that debate worked out just fine even without all the high tech virtual meeting stuff we have now.

[keithbvadu2]

76. Glad you brought that up.

[crickets]

90. Exactly. If it was good enough for them, there's no legitimate reason for trump to refuse.

For 99% of the audience viewing at home, every debate is a virtual debate. There's no difference for us anyway.

[Zorro]

43. I'd like to see the Biden campaign issue this response

"We understand that the President is a sick man and unfit to participate in a town hall debate with the voters".

[Eyeball_Kid]

60. That would be a great way to bait Trumpy-Boy. He's all about macho and denial. n/t

[AllyCat]

45. I would think that would appeal to him. Teevee and all.

That’s okay. He can stay home and Biden gets uninterrupted time.

[not_the_one]

48. His chances for grifting are gettting fewer....

How in hell is he going to be able to cram his pockets full of tax payer cash by forcing his even larger entourage, which now includes tons of medical staff, PLUS his secret service staff, to stay at Turd-a-Logo, if he can't BE at Turd-a-Logo?

[cstanleytech]

52. He threatened to pull out before so it's hardly surprising.

Of course the real one who should have pulled out should have been Fred the night Trump was conceived.

[PubliusEnigma]

53. This is gold, Jerry. Gold!

Now Trump can't leave.

Joe locked the door.

Let the beat down proceed!

[Eyeball_Kid]

55. It may be a mute point. Trump may be back at Walter Reed by then. He's still shedding.

He's still running high on steroids, but it really is hard to tell because he's been this obnoxious all through his term.

There has been NO announcement that Trump is testing negative for COVID. And let's believe that were he testing negative, the universe would know by now.

[tblue37]

58. The networks should just replay his first disastrous debate performance.

[SWBTATTReg]

81. Pretty damn good idea. And they should allow Mr. Biden a whole hour of uninterrupted airtime,

since trump and pence grabbed so much airtime (wasn't theirs according to debate rules) to hammer these two idiots in real time.

[iluvtennis]

61. I'm so happy to see the format was changed to virtual -- don't want Joe anywhere near the infected

orange POS.

[speaknow]

62. Voting is underway so

who gives a shit what that POS says!
For that walking Garbage can, you Sir are a
bad actor and it shows. I will take my mask off
on the Balcony to show the world how hard it is
to breathe and tell the world I'm taking
steroids for breathing. Nothing but a FCS.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

63. Underdogs have the most to gain by debating. Biden is not the underdog. . . . nt

[Captain Zero]

65. Biden should buy time and do the virtual alone.

Screw over Covid Cooties boy.

[NNadir]

66. Since he's a fool Trump has only belatedly understood that he can only lose...

...when he is appearing in the same forum as Biden.

Biden is a decent, ethical, intelligent human being and Trump isn't.

[Paladin]

67. trump is a gutless, diseased, chickenshit motherfucker.

Just to re-state the obvious......

[C Moon]

68. He has time. He'll change his mind a few dozen more times.

If only to irritate everyone.

[LeftInTX]

103. GMTA! Thanks for posting for me!

[calimary]

69. Okay. Fine! Stay home little donald! Stay home and pout because they won't let you be rude.

Poor widdle baby! Who needs you, anyway, at this point.

We have widely-demonstrated responsible leadership being showcased to prove what an outstanding alternative is available, who is compassionate, realistic, highly- and relevantly-experienced, and consistently acts like the adult in the room. Who needs YOU anymore? Go home and pout. And throw a rally for your ego where more people cluster together in tight circumstances and can catch and spread the virus. That rally won't get NEARLY the coverage that a debate would, particularly if Joe Biden goes on, alone, and takes questions. ESPECIALLY in a town-hall format.

That town hall is where THE PEOPLE ask the questions. And they don't mess around.

I think he's SCARED!!!

[honest.abe]

72. Biden should go on the event alone.

That will emphasize how idiotic Trump is for not showing up.

[keithbvadu2]

77. Cadet Bone Spurs finds an excuse to chicken out - again!

Cadet Bone Spurs finds an excuse to chicken out - again!

[calimary]

78. BYE-DON!

Who needs you there, anyway?

[SWBTATTReg]

79. Coward. Him (and his lackey Pence) finally got a way to get out of the remaining debates ...

since they were getting hammered at the debates. Coward.

[Bayard]

83. I was appalled at the insecurity of last nights debate between VP's

Just a little plexiglass between them, and Pence's wife running around without a mask.

There is no way any interaction should be in person now. It endangers everyone. If the malignant pumpkin head is too much of a vain sociopath to deal with it, give that hour and a half all to Joe Biden. He deserves it anyway given trump's performance in the first debate.

I hope the Commission does not back down.

[Thekaspervote]

84. He isn't well and can't do it! He's never once refused free air time! What other reason fits?

[BlueWavePsych]

93. #ChickenTrump cluck cluck cluck cluck cluck

[PoliticAverse]

95. Trump needs a 2nd debate more than Biden does. n/t

[ehrnst]

97. If Trump can't infect Biden, he won't debate. He needs Biden to get COVID in order

to be able to attack Biden's precautions that kept him from getting sick, and making Trump look like an even bigger fool for mocking Joe's mask.

[BumRushDaShow]

99. It does sound like a preemptive "baiting move"

to say - "See? You got it too even though you were wearing those gigantic masks!!!11!!!!1"


They show villains having these types of meltdowns in cartoons but who would have thought we'd see it in real life.

[Roc2020]

102. Interesting and diabolic

and he is desperate enough to try it.

[spike jones]

98. It was just announced that Trump will host the Rush Limbaugh show tomorrow. n/t

[BigDemVoter]

101. How does he explain that giant, fat ass of his?

[bucolic_frolic]

104. No compromise with this

The debates are over. This constant moving the goalposts has to stop. This is the tax return litigation in a different form. Trump abuses, dictates, and evades to suit his purposes. He's a one man wrecking crew.

[pfitz59]

105. Do an "empty chair" debate

Let Biden answer his 2 minutes. Then have the moderator say: "Mr. President, your 2 minutes". Then play 2 minutes of crickets.