President Trump pulls out of the second presidential debate after it goes virtual: "It's ridiculous"

The New York Times

After the Commission on Presidential Debates announced this morning that the Oct. 15 debate will take place remotely, Trump, who's recovering from coronavirus, announced about 30 minutes later he won't participate. “I’m not going to waste my time on a virtual debate, that’s not what debating is all about,” Trump told Maria Bartiromo in a lengthy conversation this morning on Fox Business Network. “You sit behind a computer and do a debate — it’s ridiculous.” Trump added: "That’s not acceptable to us." Trump went on to say the virtual debate decision was made "to protect Biden" and that second moderator Steve Scully of C-SPAN is a "Never-Trumper." The Commission on Presidential Debates said this morning the second debate "will take the form of a town meeting, in which the candidates would participate in separate remote locations." The town hall participants and moderator Scully will be located as planned at the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts in Miami. Sources tell The New York Times' Michael M. Grynbaum the "virtual debate came about after intense discussions by the Debate Commission board – and objections from its own production staff, who balked at the safety risks of staging another live in-person debate after what transpired in Cleveland." Meanwhile, the Trump campaign released a statement saying the president would've posted several negative tests by the Oct. 15 debate, adding: "We'll pass on this sad excuse to bail out Joe Biden and do a rally instead."