Second Presidential Debate Will Go ‘Virtual,’ With Candidates in Remote Locations

The second presidential debate between President Donald Trump and Democratic candidate Joe Biden will be “virtual,” with the two participants holding forth from separate remote locations, a new twist to the event added in the wake of the president being exposed to the coronavirus.

The debate’s “town hall” format will remain in place, the Commission on Presidential Debates said Thursday, with the moderator, Steve Scully, staying at the event’s original location, the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County in Miami, Florida.

Trump was discharged earlier this week from Walter Reed Medical Center, where he was being treated for symptoms related to coronavrus. While doctors have said his symptoms have improved, there have been many questions about his health and several White House and government officials have also confirmed infection with the contagion in recent days, including Kayleigh McEnany, the White House Press Secretary, and a handful of Republican senators.

The Commission said the new measures were put in place “to protect the health and safety of all involved with the second presidential debate.” The event is scheduled for October 15, 2020. New practices were evident last night during the Commission’s vice-presidential debate between Vice President Mike Pence and Senator Kamala Harris, where plexiglass shields were placed on stage between the two seated candidates.

More to come…