2nd presidential debate will not push through on Oct. 15

The election will be held on November 3, amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. (Pexels photo)

United States President Donald Trump and Democratic nominee Joe Biden won’t be meeting again next week for the second presidential debate.

The Commission on Presidential Debates (CPD) announced in a statement that the debate, which was scheduled to happen on October 15 in Miami, will not proceed.

“It is now apparent there will be no debate on October 15, and the CPD will turn its attention to preparations for the final presidential debate scheduled for October 22,” it said.

“Subject to health security considerations, and in accordance with all required testing, masking, social distancing and other protocols, the debate will take place at Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee,” it added.

The CDP said the two camps “made a series of statements concerning their respective positions regarding their willingness to participate in a virtual debate on October 15, and each now has announced alternate plans for that date.

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It was earlier announced that Biden and Trump will “participate from separate remote locations” in the second presidential debate after Trump was diagnosed with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

The US president, however, told Fox Business that he is “not going to waste my time on a virtual debate.

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“That is not what debating is all about. You sit behind the computer and do a debate, it’s ridiculous and then they cut you off whenever they want,” Trump stressed.

Meanwhile, Biden has previously said that he and Trump should not face off next week if the latter is still positive for the virus. Biden stressed that they should comply with “very strict guidelines” as there are already many people who have been infected with COVID-19.

Biden and Trump had their first presidential debate last September 29 in Cleveland, Ohio, with Chris Wallace of Fox News being the moderator.

This was followed by the vice presidential debate between US Vice President Mike Pence and Senator Kamala Harris at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City, where Susan Page of USA Today was the moderator.

The election will be held on November 3, amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.