Trump And Biden Will Debate Without Plexiglass Shields

Topline

President Donald Trump and challenger Joe Biden will reportedly face off in the final presidential debate Thursday night without plexiglass dividers separating them, following negative coronavirus tests from both candidates — a reversal from debate organizers’ initial plans.

Key Facts

Surprising Fact

Some experts say the dividers would not have protected anybody. If one of the candidates is contagious, small virus particles could still float above or next to the dividers and eventually reach their opponent, and Trump and Biden’s podiums are already spaced so far apart that spit and other larger particles probably can’t travel between the candidates anyways.

Crucial Quote

“Those barriers are a joke. It is just theater, to make it look like they are taking some precautions,” Jose-Luis Jimenez, a University of Colorado chemistry professor who studies the virus, told CNBC before the vice presidential debate.

Key Background

Trump tested positive for Covid-19 just two days after the first presidential debate last month, turning debate safety into a political issue weeks before Election Day. Trump’s campaign initially resisted plans to separate Pence and Harris with plexiglass shields, though the campaign eventually accepted them. The Commission later planned to host the second presidential debate virtually with candidates participating in separate locations, following fears Trump may still be contagious, but the president refused to participate and the event was cancelled as a result. Some observers have encouraged the Commission to switch to a virtual format for the final debate, but organizers still pressed forward with an in-person event.

Tangent

During the first presidential debate, members of Trump’s family reportedly refused to wear masks, despite requests from venue staff. The Commission said it plans to enforce audience safety rules more stringently on Thursday night

Further Reading

Can Plexiglass Dividers Really Stop Covid-19 Coronavirus In Vice Presidential Debate? (Forbes)

The plexiglass barriers at tonight’s debate will be pretty useless, virus experts say (New York Times).