Trump won't debate on Zoom

President Trump says he won't participate in a virtual town hall, after the independent commission that runs presidential debates announced that next week's scheduled event would be virtual for health and safety reasons.

[...]

"I'm not going to do a virtual debate," Trump told Fox Business anchor Maria Bartiromo on Thursday morning, calling the format "a waste of time."

  NPR

Why? Because he can't infect Biden?

"For the swamp creatures at the Presidential Debate Commission to now rush to Joe Biden's defense by unilaterally canceling an in-person debate is pathetic," [Bill Stepien, Trump's campaign manager — who also has tested positive for the coronavirus — ] said in a statement. "The safety of all involved can easily be achieved without canceling a chance for voters to see both candidates go head to head. We'll pass on this sad excuse to bail out Joe Biden and do a rally instead."

It's not like they're going to do hand-to-hand combat. They can go "head to head" in real-time video.

"Joe Biden was prepared to accept the CPD's proposal for a virtual Town Hall, but the President has refused, as Donald Trump clearly does not want to face questions from the voters about his failures on COVID and the economy," Biden deputy campaign manager Kate Bedingfield said in a statement. "As a result, Joe Biden will find an appropriate place to take questions from voters directly on October 15th, as he has done on several occasions in recent weeks."

That's all we need anyway. We know Trump would only bluster and lie.

Stepien then sent another statement Thursday afternoon, calling on the commission to just postpone the second and third debates a week each. So the town hall would happen Oct. 22 and the third debate would be Oct. 29 — both in person.

"Voters should have the opportunity to directly question Biden's 47-year failed record of leadership," Stepien said in his second statement.

Yeah. That's what they said. He'd do it alone if Trump won't participate.

Stepien noted the timing of the commission's announcement of the change of format for the second debate, saying in a statement: "Clearly the commission wanted to shift attention away from Pence's complete [debate] victory."

Yes, that was it. Clearly.

 

...but hey, do what you want...you will anyway.

UPDATE: