Covid +ve Trump Says Will Not Participate in Virtual Second Presidential Debate with Joe Biden

President Donald Trump, who is still being treated for Covid-19, said Thursday he will refuse to take part in the presidential debate next week after it was switched to a virtual format.

"I'm not going to do a virtual debate," he told Fox News, saying this was "not acceptable to us." He accused the bipartisan debate commission of trying to "protect" his opponent Joe Biden.

It was announced that the second presidential debate between Trump and Democratic nominee Joe Biden will take place virtually amid the fallout from the president's diagnosis of COVID-19.

The nonpartisan Commission on Presidential Debates debates made the announcement Thursday morning, a week before the two were scheduled to face on in Miami. The candidates will “participate from separate remote locations,” while the participants and moderator remain in Miami, the commission said.

Trump was diagnosed with the coronavirus a week ago and said he looked forward to debating Biden on stage in Miami, saying, “It will be great!”

Biden, for his part, said he and Trump “shouldn’t have a debate” as long as the president remains COVID positive.

Biden told reporters in Pennsylvania that he was “looking forward to being able to debate him” but said “we’re going to have to follow very strict guidelines.”