Trump: I Will Not Participate in a Virtual Debate

Thursday on the heels of the announcement that the second presidential debate between President Donald Trump and Democratic nominee Joe Biden would be a virtual and not in person, President Donald Trump appeared on Fox Business Network’s “Mornings with Maria” with an immediate rejection.

He said he was not “wasting” his time with a so-called virtual debate.

Partial transcript as follows:

TRUMP: I heard that the commission a while ago changed debate style, and that is not acceptable to us. I beat him easily in the first debate, according to polls that I have seen. But I beat him easily — I felt I beat him easily. I think he felt it, too. He wouldn’t answer any questions. He had the protection of Chris Wallace all night long. I thought Chris Wallace was a disaster. But I beat him first debate. In the second debate, we have a “Never Trumper” as a host. That is OK because I beat him in the second debate also. But I am not going to do a virtual debate.

BARTIROMO: You are not so, Mr. President, you are not going to do it because the CPD, the Commission on Presidential Debates announcing this morning that the second debate will be virtual. You say you are not going to participate.

TRUMP: No, I am not going to waste my time on a virtual debate. That is not what debating is all about. You sit behind a are computer and do a debate. That’s ridiculous. And then they cut you off when every they want. I have a host who I felt was a nice guy. But I see he is a “Never Trumper,” you know — it came out that he is a “Never Trumper.” We do have some of them, Maria, believe it or not because they don’t —

(CROSSTALK)

BARTIROMO: So you just learned this morning?

TRUMP: Yeah, we learned the same way you learned it will they called up, two minutes ago, and it was announced.

Follow Jeff Poor on Twitter @jeff_poor

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