MIAMI _ An Oct. 15 debate at Miami's Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts between President Donald Trump and Democratic nominee Joe Biden must be conducted virtually due to concerns about Trump's recent COVID-19 diagnosis, the Commission on Presidential Debates announced Thursday morning.
"In order to protect the health and safety of all involved ... the second presidential debate (in Miami) will take the form of a town meeting, in which the candidates would participate from separate remote locations," the commission said in a statement.
Trump's campaign manager quickly attacked the "unilateral" decision, saying the president will have tested negative multiple times prior to the debate and would "do a rally instead." And Trump _ who has not yet known to have received a negative test since announcing his diagnosis early on Oct. 2 _ called into Fox Business to say he wouldn't be participating under the announced terms.
"I'm not going to waste my time on a virtual debate," he said. "That's not what debating is all about. You sit behind a computer and do a debate. It's ridiculous. And they cut you off whenever they want."
The announced format change came amid concerns that the president might be contagious at the time of the debate, which was to feature questions asked in-person by undecided voters.
Trump spent a long weekend at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, where he received antibody cocktails, steroids and over-the-counter medications. His physicians said he received at least two supplemental oxygen treatments Friday and Saturday, but as of Wednesday had been fever free for four days and symptom free for 24 hours.
Trump said Thursday on Fox News that he feels "perfect." Trump's doctors and his administration, however, have refused to say when the president last tested negative for the virus.
The Oct. 15 debate in Miami, should it still take place, would be an encore to a contentious and chaotic first debate in Ohio, which spurred talk of using a "mute" button for the second debate in Miami. Afterward, Biden and his representatives repeatedly swatted away questions about whether he would pull out of Miami, though Biden this week questioned the wisdom of holding the event if Trump still has COVID-19.
On Thursday, Biden's deputy campaign manager, Kate Bedingfield, said in a statement that the former vice president would participate. But Biden, speaking to reporters briefly at an airport in Wilmington, said it was difficult to plot a path forward given Trump's penchant for changing his mind.
"I don't know what the president is going to do. He changes his mind every second. For me to comment on that now would be irresponsible," Biden said. "I think that if I can follow the commission's recommendations _ if he goes off and has a rally, I'll _ I don't know what I'll do."'
The Oct. 15 debate has been in flux for months. Originally it was scheduled at the University of Michigan, but school officials back out in June, citing concerns about the transmission of the novel coronavirus. On Thursday, the Arsht Center's top executive said the county-owned facility wasn't given advanced warning of the decision, though there were talks of logistical changes coming due to Trump's diagnosis.
"This is all brand new information for us," said Arsht CEO Johann Zietsman. "All we know is they're going to be virtual. We'll get the details as they come."
Zietsman said the debate commission provides the technical equipment for the event, and controls the hall, which is run by the non-profit he heads. Zietsman did not elaborate, but said his staff "got the sense" from organizers that the original arrangement for the debate would have to change.
The potential that Trump might travel to Miami-Dade County within two weeks of a hospital stay to treat COVID-19 has been controversial. The county has suffered through one of the worst coronavirus outbreaks in the country.
Miami Mayor Francis Suarez _ who contracted COVID-19 in March _ called the announcement a "prudent decision." Suarez said he did not talk to the Commission on Presidential Debates, but had previously said Trump should not come to Miami if he continued to test positive for the disease.
"I'm not surprised," Suarez said. "I quarantined for 18 days until I was certain I could not be infectious. It's the best decision for all."
The announcement came a day after the county's mayor, Carlos Gimenez, didn't rule out Trump's participating in person at the debate even if he continued testing positive for COVID-19.
In a press appearances Wednesday, Gimenez noted the Centers for Disease Control published return-to-work guidelines for healthcare workers who test positive for COVID-19 that focus on symptoms and not test results. Gimenez, who is running for Congress with Trump's endorsement, said he planned to meet with his medical advisers sometime Thursday to explore options for Trump's coming to Miami.
"I need to talk to my medical experts. Is there a way to do this even if he's positive? People test positive for a long time, way after symptoms," he said at a senior-center appearance Wednesday morning.
Florida state Sen. Jason Pizzo, a Democrat whose district includes the Arsht Center, told the Miami Herald Wednesday that the event might be more entertaining if held in-person but voters wouldn't suffer if the event went virtual.
"We all rubber neck at accidents we all kind of want to see the political theater. But to be intellectually honest, it brings large groups of consultants, the press and media and contributes to another bottle-necking of groups and crowds which are unnecessary," he said. "The only disservice it does is to those interested in political theater."
The commission, which sponsors the debates, said Thursday that moderator Steve Scully of C-SPAN Networks would continue to steer the debate from Miami, but the candidates would not be together. Commission on Presidential Debates co-Chairman Frank J. Fahrenkopf, Jr. told NBC that it's up to Trump if he will participate under the new rules.
"No Presidential candidate is required to debate," he said.
