The Commission on Presidential Debates announced a major change in the format of the second presidential debate: two candidates participating from “separate remote locations.”
But, this change did not sit well with President Trump.
The president said Thursday that he would not participate in the second televised debate with Democratic opponent Joe Biden next week after the commission’s announcement of a new virtual format.
“I’m not going to waste my time on virtual debate. That’s not what debating is all about,” Trump said in an interview on Fox Business. “You sit behind a computer and do a debate. It’s ridiculous, and then they cut you off whenever they want.”
The Commission on Presidential Debates revealed Thursday morning that the town hall-style event on October 15 in Miami would now feature the two candidates participating from “separate remote locations,” according to Politico.
Per the announcement, the moderator, , will be located at the originally planned location – the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts – in Miami.
This change in format comes as Trump continues to receive treatment for COVID-19 at the White House after a 4-day stay at Walter Reed National Military Center.
Trump campaign manager Bill Stepien echoed the president’s position in a statement Thursday, saying Trump will “pass on this sad excuse to bail out Joe Biden and do a rally instead.”
Stepien claimed that Trump “will have posted multiple negative tests prior to the debate,” and insisted that the “safety of all involved can easily be achieved without canceling a chance for voters to see both candidates go head to head.”
But, Biden’s team feels differently.
In her own statement, Biden deputy campaign manager Kate Bedingfield suggested the former vice president would be taking part in the virtual event and that Biden “looks forward to speaking directly to the American people.”
Despite his positive test, the president has taken to social media to assure the American public that he feels great and that he intended to take part in the debate.
“I am looking forward to the debate on the evening of Thursday, October 15th in Miami. It will be great!”
I am looking forward to the debate on the evening of Thursday, October 15th in Miami. It will be great!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 6, 2020
Biden, on the other hand, said that while he would be willing to participate in the debate “if scientists say it’s safe,” he advised that “we should be very cautious.”
Ironically enough, the commission had already been exploring potential format changes for next week’s debate in the aftermath of the first disastrous clash between the two candidates.
The commission announced last week that the first debate demonstrated the need for “additional structure” to “ensure a more orderly discussion.”
So, with President Trump falling victim to the coronavirus, the commission is hitting two birds with one stone, so to speak.
But despite the announcement, it remains unclear what the new format would look like.
Will the moderator have the ability to mute the candidates?
Will the candidates be automatically cut off after their speaking time is up?
Only time will tell.
BIDEN: We Can Stay Home During COVID Because “Some Black Woman” Stacked the Grocery Shelf
Biden was quickly roasted on Twitter for his comments
President Trump has proven he is the embodiment of a true leader after contracting the coronavirus while performing the duties of Commander in Chief, instead of keeping himself isolated in a bubble in the White House.
Vice President Joe Biden, on the other hand, has locked himself in his basement for months, leaving for mostly brief media appearances where he rarely takes questions from the press.
In a now-viral video clip, Biden credited people’s ability to stay sequestered in their homes during the COVID-19 pandemic because “some black woman was able to stack the grocery shelf.”
Why would Twitter delete a video that was nothing more than quoting a presidential candidate, @jack?
Big tech has fixed the game and we’re all still playing. https://t.co/05ozbFDiwM
— Dave Rubin (@RubinReport) October 6, 2020
Fox News reported the full version of Biden’s comments:
“And they say, ‘Well, why in the hell would you say that Biden? You just talked about all these difficulties.’ Well, I’ll tell you why. Because the American public, the blinders have been taken off,” Biden told the roundtable attendees. “They’ve all of a sudden seen a hell of a lot clearer. They’re saying, ‘Jeeze, the reason I was able to stay sequestered in my home is because some Black woman was able to stack the grocery shelf. Or a young Hispanic is out there, these dreamers are out there, 60,000 of them acting as first responders and nurses and docs.’ Or all of a sudden people are realizing, ‘My Lord, these people have done so much. Not just Black, White, across the board, have done so much for me. We can do this. We can get things done.’ And I think they’re ready.”
Biden was quickly roasted on Twitter for his comments, with former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee pointing out the hypocrisy of the media for ignoring his comments. “He didn’t really say that, did he?” he wrote. “Yes, he did. If @realDonaldTrump said that he’d be called racist. But @POTUS didn’t say it. Joe did & the media won’t say a word about it.”
He didn't really say that, did he? Yes, he did. If @realDonaldTrump said that he'd be called racist. But @POTUS didn't say it. Joe did & the media won't say a word about it. https://t.co/R7hrKHTKyX
— Gov. Mike Huckabee (@GovMikeHuckabee) October 6, 2020
Trump supporters Diamond and Silk wrote, “Jim Crow Joe Biden is a Bigot and a Racist! Black women are not the only ones stocking shelves amid COVID.”
Jim Crow Joe Biden is a Bigot and a Racist! Black women are not the only ones stocking shelves amid COVID. https://t.co/pXxT5jDNAp
— Diamond and Silk® (@DiamondandSilk) October 5, 2020
Facebook Paying Social Media Users to Suspend Accounts Ahead of November Elections
Need a little stimulus money to get you through the pandemic and sick of political nonsense on social media? You’re in luck! Facebook is offering money to those who are willing to stop using Facebook and Instagram in the weeks before the November presidential election. “To assess the impact of social media on voting, the company will pay selected members up to $120 to deactivate their accounts beginning at the end of September” according to the New York Post.
The announcement came from yet another social media outlet, when Facebook spokesperson Liz Bourgeois tweeted last week, “anyone who chooses to opt-in whether it’s completing surveys or deactivating FB or IG for a period of time – will be compensated. This is fairly standard for this type of academic research.”
Facebook expects 200,000 to 400,000 people to take part in the research study. “Representative, scientific samples of people in the US will be selected and invited to participate in the study. Some potential participants will see a notice in Facebook or Instagram inviting them to take part in the study” said Facebook.
Samples of the population will “mirror the diversity of the US adult population, as well as users of Facebook and Instagram” claims the social media giant. Last week the company CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced he was banning all new political ads from the Facebook platform to help thwart “misinformation.”
The results of the study would be expected to be released sometime in 2021 and the goal is “to continue to amplify all that is good for democracy on social media and mitigate against that which is not, we need more objective, dispassionate, empirically grounded research” proclaimed Facebook.
