US debate organizers have canceled the second matchup between Joe Biden and Donald Trump after both sides disagreed on the format. Trump had refused to attend a virtual event, and plans to hold a live rally in Florida.
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The second US presidential debate planned for October 15 has been canceled by the nonpartisan Commission on Presidential Debates on Friday, as the event's format was thrown into disarray following US President Donald Trump's coronavirus diagnosis.
On Thursday, organizers called for a "virtual debate" to be held instead of the planned town hall format in Miami, Florida. Trump swiftly rejected the proposal and asked for the dates to be pushed back. However, the campaign of Trump's opponent, Joe Biden, objected to changing the dates.
The Trump campaign then offered to hold the debates in person as scheduled, betting on the US president being cleared to hold public events by his doctors before the matchup on Thursday.
However, the commission said it would not reverse its decision, citing health concerns as both candidates would appear together on stage and take questions from an audience of voters.
Both candidates have "alternate plans" for October 15, the commission said, with Biden expected to hold a town hall discussion with voters and Trump planning a rally in Florida.
The third debate, scheduled for October 22 in Nashville, Tennessee, is still expected to take place.
On Saturday, Trump is planning to hold his first in-person event since his COVID-19 diagnosis on October 2, convening a large group outside the White House for a speech on "law and order" which he will deliver from the balcony.
The event comes despite a coronavirus outbreak at the White House over the last week, with several Trump aides and campaign staff testing positive.
Trump's COVID-19 outbreak: Who got infected?
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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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"There are medical tests underway that will ensure that when the president is back out he will not be able to transmit the
virus," said White House spokeswoman Kayleigh McEnany, who herself has tested positive for COVID-19.
Trump is also set to hold a rally in Florida on Monday, his campaign said. The event will be held at an airport in Sanford, a small city in the center of the battleground state just weeks ahead of the November 3 election.
Rally attendees will be given temperature checks and will be encouraged to wear masks, Trump campaign said. Florida has reported 2,900 new COVID-19 infections over the past 24 hours, according to the Johns Hopkins University.
