Trump Won't Debate Unless There's a Risk of Infecting Biden
Most people recovering from a serious illness would be relieved to learn they can work remotely instead of going on a business trip. But not Donald Trump. On Thursday morning, less than an hour after the Commission on Presidential Debates announced that his October 15 event with Joe Biden would be virtual, Trump staged a tantrum. He won’t do it.
"I don’t think I’m contagious,” he added. (He is, and might still be contagious by the 15th.) Trump’s reluctance to join a virtual debate appears to stem from the speculation that a moderator would be able to mute him at will. He told Fox’s Maria Bartiromo that “they cut you off whenever they want.” The CPD had previously announced that their live debates would go forward with an option to cut off a participant’s mic. Trump himself is responsible for that adjustment; during his first debate with Biden, he repeatedly spoke over moderator Chris Wallace as well as the former vice-president.
According to CNN, the CPD didn’t consult with either campaign before it announced the new debate format. Biden’s team agreed to the change; Trump, predictably, had a problem. He tends to prefer environments where he is the only noisemaker present. The Trump camp initially suggested that instead of debating, the president will do what he does best: host a combination rally and potential superspreader event.
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Read more: https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2020/10/donald-trump-pulls-out-of-debate-with-joe-biden.html
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Given the President's expertise in having other people take tests for him, it would not surprise me to learn that he's hired a "clean nose" to be swabbed for him.
