Trump refuses to attend virtual debate, agrees to delay
October 8, 2020
The US President, currently infected with COVID-19, has refused to attend a virtual presidential debate with Joe Biden. He later backtracked and agreed to a delay.
Image: Olivier Douliery/Reuters
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US President Donald Trump on Thursday rejected a suggestion to hold the next presidential debate virtually, despite his ongoing fight with the highly infectious COVID-19.
However, he later agreed to a delayed debate in person, while insisting that there still be three debates.
The Commission on Presidential Debates earlier announced that it would change the format of the debate on October 15 to an online virtual one, in light of Trump's coronavirus diagnosis.
"I'm not going to do a virtual debate," Trump told Fox Business News in response, adding that it was "not acceptable to us."
He accused the commission, which is nonpartisan, of acting to "protect" Democratic challenger Joe Biden.
However, he later agreed to delay the debate to October 22. His team also insisted that the third debate be pushed to October 29, just days before the November 3 election. More than 4 million Americans have already voted in the election, due to an expansion of early and mail-in voting prompted by the pandemic.
The debate had originally been scheduled to take place in Miami in a week's time.
Trump's campaign earlier said that Trump would instead hold a supporter rally instead of attending a virtual rally.
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"We'll pass on this sad excuse to bail out Joe Biden and do a rally instead," it said in a statement earlier. It claimed that Trump "will have posted multiple negative tests prior to the debate."
Trump tested positive for the coronavirus last week, and was hospitalized for three days. His doctors claim that he is no longer showing symptoms, however he appeared to have labored breathing in public appearances.
He is likely still contagious, with patients warned to self-isolate for at least 10 days after testing positive.
In 1960, the third of four presidential debates was held remotely, with candidates Richard Nixon and John F. Kennedy on opposite coasts.
The previous Trump-Biden debate was almost universally declared a disaster, with constant interruptions and few clear messages to draw.
Senior Republican figure Herman Cain died from COVID-19 after attending a Trump rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Many of those in Trump's inner circle have been infected with the coronavirus after a White House function.
Also on Thursday, officials announced that Vice President Mike Pence had tested negative after his Wednesday night debate with Democratic vice presidential candidate Kamala Harris.
Donald Trump's coronavirus infection has been followed by a chain of cases spanning the White House, Congress and his presidential reelection campaign. Many were infected after attending a White House event.
Image: The White House via Reuters
Adviser Hope Hicks
A former White House staffer, Hope Hicks had returned recently to help Trump prepare for the first presidential debate against Joe Biden. She was the first person in his surroundings to test positive for COVID-19, just hours before the president confirmed his infection.
Image: Kevin Dietsch/UPI Photo/Newscom/picture-alliance
First lady Melania Trump
Given her proximity to Trump, it was no surprise that first lady of the US also tested positive for coronavirus following Trump's infection. She received medical assistance at the White House and did not require hospitalization at Walter Reed Medical Center.
Image: Andrea Hanks/White House/ZUMA Wire/ZUMAPRESS/picture-alliance
Personal assistant Nicholas Luna
Nicholas Luna tested positive for COVID-19 soon after Trump did. As personal assistant, his job is to accompany Trump day and night. His job puts him in as close proximity to the president as the first lady.
Image: Andrew Harnik/AP/picture-alliance
Campaign manager Bill Stepien
Trump's campaign manager, Bill Stepien, also tested positive for COVID-19 on the same day the president did. His diagnosis dealt a blow to a campaign he had just recently begun to head, after the departure of embattled former campaign manager Brad Parscale.
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RNC chairwoman Ronna McDaniel
Republican National Committee chair Ronna McDaniel tested positive for coronavirus soon after the president and went into quarantine at her home in Michigan. Like Bill Stepien, she plays a key role in Trump's campaign and was in close contact with him in recent weeks.
Adviser Kellyanne Conway tested positive for the virus on the same day as Trump. Although she officially left the White House weeks earlier — citing the need to spend more time with her family — she attended Trump's White House ceremony to announce Amy Coney Barrett's nomination to the Supreme Court.
Image: Andrew Harnik/AP/File/picture-alliance
Former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie
Former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie announced that he would check himself into a hospital because of a COVID-19 infection the day after Trump's positive test. Christie had attended an event at the White House for Supreme Court Justice nominee Amy Coney Barrett, where he was seen without a mask and not socially distancing.
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Republican Senator Ron Johnson
Wisconsin Republican Senator Ron Johnson said he tested positive for COVID one day after Trump's positive test. A close ally of the president, Johnson was also at the event for Supreme Court justice nominee Amy Coney Barrett.
Image: Manuel Balce Ceneta/AP/picture-alliance
Republican Senator Thom Tillis
North Carolina Republican Senator Thom Tillis said he tested positive for coronavirus a day after the president did. He, too, had attended the White House event for Supreme Court justice nominee Amy Coney Barrett. Tillis, who is facing reelection this year, is a member of the Justice Committee that would process the nomination.
Image: Chris Carlson/AP/picture-alliance
Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany
White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany said she tested positive for COVID-19 three days after the president's positive test. She indicated that she experienced no symptoms and said she would quarantine while continuing to work from home. She gave her last appearance to reporters, without a mask, hours before her positive test results came back.
Image: Alex Brandon/AP/picture-alliance
Republican Senator Mike Lee
Utah Republican Senator Mike Lee said he tested positive for coronavirus on the same day as Trump. He was also one of several people who attended the White House event for Trump's Supreme Court justice nominee. Tillis, a staunch Trump ally, is also a member of the Justice Committee that would process the nomination.
Image: Michael Brochstein/ZUMA Wire/picture-alliance
Senior adviser Stephen Miller
Stephen Miller, a senior policy adviser to Trump and one of his inner circle, announced he'd tested positive for COVID-19 four days after the president. In a statement, he said he'd been self-isolating and testing negative until that point. The White House said Miller is "doing well" and quarantining.
Image: Patrick Semansky/AP Images/picture-alliance
