Second presidential debate between Joe Biden and Donald Trump canceled
The Commission on Presidential Debates on Friday canceled next week's second presidential debate planned for Miami, one day after President Donald Trump refused to take part when it was moved to a virtual format.
The bipartisan commission, under intense criticism from the Trump campaign, announced the decision in a statement late Friday, saying the campaigns of both Trump and Democratic nominee Joe Biden "each now has announced alternate plans" for Oct. 15, the date of the debate.
"It is now apparent there will be no debate on Oct. 15, and the CPD will turn its attention to preparations for the final presidential debate scheduled for Oct. 22," the commission said.
More: Trump won't do next debate after it goes virtual; Biden schedules solo town hall in its place
The decision means Trump and Biden will square off in a debate only once more – on Oct. 22, in Nashville, Tennessee – before Election Day on Nov. 3. It also means there will not be a presidential town hall debate, with questions coming from voters, for the first time since 1988.
Both campaigns have agreed to the Nashville debate, according to the commission.
The cancelation came after the commission announced Thursday the next debate would be remote to "protect the health and safety of all involved" after Trump's positive COVID-19 diagnosis and a subsequent outbreak among multiple White House officials.
Trump promptly said he wasn't "going to waste my time doing a virtual debate," calling it a "joke" and an effort "to protect Biden" in an interview on Fox News.
More: Read the full transcript of vice presidential debate between Mike Pence and Kamala Harris
The Biden campaign blamed Trump for the cancellation.
"It's shameful that Donald Trump ducked the only debate in which the voters get to ask the questions – but it's no surprise," Biden spokesman Andrew Bates said Friday. "Everyone knows that Donald Trump likes to bully reporters, but obviously he doesn't have the guts to answer for his record to voters at the same time as Vice President Biden."
The Trump campaign had suggested delaying the final debates each one week so the second would not have to be held virtually.
Trump communications director Tim Murtaugh objected to the commission's decision, saying there is "no medical reason" to stop the debate in Miami because the president is "healthy and ready to debate."
"There is also no reason there shouldn’t be the three total presidential debates as Joe Biden had originally agreed," he said. "We have suggested using October 22 and October 29 to hold the final two debates. It’s time for the biased commission to stop protecting Biden and preventing voters from hearing from the two candidates for president.”
He proposed organizing a third debate with the Biden campaign that's not affiliated with the Commission on Presidential Debates.
“There’s nothing that says that President Trump and Joe Biden can’t debate together without the overlords at the commission having a say in the matter," Murtaugh said. "We would be glad to debate one-on-one without the commission’s interference.”
Trump's decision to back out set off a furious back and forth between the two campaigns on the debate schedule and formats, culminating with Biden scheduling his own televised town hall for Oct. 15 organized by ABC News. Trump won't be present. His campaign instead said they planned to organize a rally.
A White House memo released Thursday claimed Trump had completed his course of therapy for COVID-19 "as prescribed by his team of physicians." White House physician Dr. Sean Conley cleared Trump to return to public life on Saturday, 10 days since his diagnosis, saying, "I fully anticipate the President's safe return to public engagements at that time."
Despite being released from Walter Reed National Military Medical Center four days ago, Trump plans to hold a campaign event at the White House on Saturday in which he will speak from his balcony to guests on the lawn.
Trump intends to return to the campaign trail on Monday evening with a campaign rally in Sanford, Florida, at the Orlando Sanford International Airport.
More: Trump to resume campaigning with in-person events at White House and in Florida
Trump spent three days at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, where he was treated for COVID-19. He returned to the White House on Monday, then two days later, he re-entered the Oval Office.
The first presidential debate took place in Cleveland last week. Two days later, Trump announced he tested positive for COVD-19. Vice President Mike Pence and Democratic Sen. Kamala Harris took part in the lone vice presidential debate Wednesday night.
Amid concerns about the spread of COVID-19 after the string of positive tests for the president, top White House staff and Republican allies, plexiglass was installed between Pence and Harris at Wednesday night's debate. The two candidates were spaced more than 12 feet apart, though neither candidate wore a face mask during the debate.
Trump isn't the first incumbent president to back out of a debate. President Jimmy Carter in 1980 refused to take part in a debate sponsored by the League of Women Voters. But a debate was held anyway between Republican Ronald Reagan and independent candidate John Anderson. Commission chairman Frank Fahrenkopf said having a stand-alone debate with just Biden wasn't an option because of federal election laws.
Reach Joey Garrison on Twitter @joeygarrison.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Presidential debate: Second debate between Trump, Biden canceled
