Donald Trump’s people wanted a 4th debate in early Sept.
Biden has refused….
The debate at the Univ of Michigan has been moved to Miami…
Trump had hinted that he might not do any in the past before he began to fall so far behind Joe Biden in the polls…
“Joe Biden looks forward to facing Donald Trump in a multi-debate series that the American people have come to expect from their leaders; we hope that President Trump would not break that tradition or make excuses for a refusal to participate,” O’Malley Dillon wrote in the campaign’s first formal communication with the commission that oversees presidential debates.
The letter came as the debates were already being affected by the coronavirus pandemic.
The University of Michigan is backing out as the host for the Oct. 15 debate, the Detroit Free Press first reported.
Rick Fitzgerald, a spokesman for the University of Michigan, declined to comment. Frank Fahrenkopf, a chairman of the debate commission, said an announcement about a backup plan would be made Tuesday morning. The New York Times reported late Mondaythat the debate would instead be held at the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts in Miami.
The letter came several days after top Trump aides, including former New York mayor and current presidential adviser Rudolph W. Giuliani, began pushing for four debates and called for them to be held earlier than usual so Americans voting early could make their decisions.
That push followed Trump’s suggestion earlier this yearthat he might not participate in debates at all, a position that seems to have changed with his slumping standing against Biden in recent polls….
jamesb says
Debate #1 on Sept. 29 will be hosted by Chris Wallace from Fox….
Politico: “The two sides have decided to forego the traditional pre-debate handshake in light of the virus, according to a person with direct knowledge of the negotiations. They also won’t do an elbow-bump, a coronavirus-era handshake substitute which both campaigns saw as awkward.”
“Neither Trump nor Biden nor the debate moderator, Fox News host Chris Wallace, will wear masks.”
“And unlike past presidential debates, there will be a limited audience of only 75 to 80 people, all of whom will be tested prior to attending the debate.”….
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