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Second presidential debate cancelled but Trump plans in-person events anyway

Coughing Trump says he feels 'so good' he hopes to hold a Florida rally on Saturday and another one in Pennsylvania on Sunday (Picture: AP)
Donald Trump refused to take part in a ‘virtual’ debate with Joe Biden (Picture: AP)

The second debate between Donald Trump and Joe Biden was cancelled on Friday after the president rejected the suggestion it be held ‘virtually’ following his Covid-19 diagnosis.

Instead, Mr Trump made plans to resume in-person election campaigning with a speech to supporters at the White House on Saturday night followed by a rally in the must-win state of Florida on Monday.

He has been cleared to return to public engagements, despite remaining potentially contagious and having yet to be confirmed as virus-free by his medical team.

The third and final debate, set to take place in Nashville, Tennessee, on October 22 is still on.

In a statement, the Commission on Presidential Debates said: ‘It is now apparent there will be no debate on October 15, and the CPD will turn its attention to preparations for the final presidential debate scheduled for October 22.’

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Mr Trump initially signalled his intention to hold a rally on Saturday night.

In an appearance on Fox News on Friday evening, he said he was tested again for the virus but did not disclose the result. He also said he had stopped taking medication, adding: ‘I feel really strong.’

With that rally failing to materialise, Mr Trump now intends to address hundreds of supporters – who will be expected to wear masks – from the White House balcony on a ‘law and order’ theme Saturday night.

FILE PHOTO: U.S. President Donald Trump speaks outside the White House, where he is being treated for the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in Washington, U.S. in this still image taken from social media video released on October 8, 2020. @realDonaldTrump/via REUTERS THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY. MANDATORY CREDIT. NO RESALES. NO ARCHIVES./File Photo
President Trump speaks outside the White House (Picture: @realDonaldTrump via Reuters)

Despite releasing a string of videos and participating in a number of interviews throughout the week, the president has not been seen in public since his release from a military hospital where he received experimental treatment for the virus.

He has avoided questions on whether he has tested negative and insisted he was feeling ‘very good and very strong’ in a televised ‘medical exam’ which seemingly involved neither an exam or any medical analysis.

The president is then expected to travel to Florida on Monday where he will host a rally in the town of Sanford.

His campaign has not disclosed whether it will be staged in a hangar with the doors open as in the past or whether it will take place entirely outdoors.

Attendees will be asked to sign a disclaimer acknowledging the risks of Covid-19 and waiving their right to sue Mr Trump or the venue if they become infected, according to the event’s registration page.

They will also have their temperatures checked on arrival, be encouraged to wear masks and given access to hand sanitiser, it added.

Democratic U.S. presidential nominee Joe Biden speaks to reporters in a hangar after he and Democratic U.S. vice presidential nominee Kamala Harris arrived at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport in Phoenix, Arizona, U.S., October 8, 2020. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque
Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden speaks to reporters (Picture: Reuters)

Mr Biden sharply criticised his rival’s decision to get back on the campaign trail.

Addressing the Florida rally, he told reporters: ‘Good luck. I wouldn’t show up unless you have a mask and can distance.’

It comes after the US’s top virus expert said the White House had hosted a ‘super-spreader event’.

At least 11 people who attended an event on September 26 where Mr Trump announced his nomination of Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court have since tested positive.

Dr Anthony Fauci, who is also a member of the White House coronavirus task force, said: ‘The data speak for themselves.

‘We had a super-spreader event in the White House. It was in a situation where people were crowded together, were not wearing masks.’

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.

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