Biden and Trump campaigns call for delay of town hall debate after president’s boycott threat

The Biden and Trump campaigns have finally found something they can agree on — kind of.

Officials for both campaigns called Thursday for next week’s town hall-style debate to be rescheduled after President Trump claimed he would boycott the event because organizers decided to make it virtual over concerns that he could still be contagious with COVID-19.

But the campaigns differed on how the rest of the debate schedule should look.

Kate Bedingfield, the deputy manager of Joe Biden’s campaign, said the Oct. 15 town-hall-style event should take the place of the third and final debate scheduled for Oct. 22, meaning there would only be two presidential debates in total this election cycle.

“The voters should have a chance to ask questions of both candidates, directly,” Bedingfield said in a statement. “Every presidential candidate since 1992 has participated in such an event, and it would be a shame if Donald Trump was the first to refuse.”

Democratic presidential candidate former Vice President Joe Biden and vice presidential candidate Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif., walk in a hanger before leaving Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, in Phoenix, Thursday, Oct. 8. (Carolyn Kaster/)

Bill Stepien, Trump’s campaign manager, agreed that the Oct. 15 debate should happen on Oct. 22 instead, but said the third rhetorical slugfest should then also be rescheduled for Oct. 29.

“The American people should not be deprived of the chance to see the two candidates for president debate face to face two more times,” Stepien said in a statement.

Bedingfield quickly rejected Stepien’s proposal.

“Trump chose today to pull out of the October 15th debate. Trump’s erratic behavior does not allow him to rewrite the calendar, and pick new dates of his choosing,” she said. "We look forward to participating in the final debate, scheduled for October 22 ... Donald Trump can show up, or he can decline again. That’s his choice.”

The Commission on Presidential Debates did not immediately react to the dueling demands from the Trump and Biden camps.

Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden, speaks to the press before boarding his campaign plane at Wilmington Airport on October 8, 2020, in New Castle, Delaware. (BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/)

The commission announced Thursday morning that the Oct. 15 debate would be a virtual affair instead of in-person, as Trump tested positive for COVID-19 less than a week ago and could potentially still be contagious.

Shortly thereafter, Trump called in to one his favorite cable news shows and said he’s not game for that.

“Not wasting my time with a virtual event,” he told Fox Business host Maria Bartiromo. “I don’t think I’m contagious at all.”

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say COVID-19 patients can be contagious for roughly 14 days and should quarantine for the entirety of that period. Trump has refused to abide by those guidelines, leaving the White House residence on Wednesday to spend some time in the Oval Office and record a rambling video in the Rose Garden.

While the remainder of the debate schedule remained up in the air Thursday afternoon, both Trump and Biden quickly planned alternate events for Oct. 15.

Biden will participate in an ABC News-hosted town hall in Philadelphia to “answer questions from voters," according to the network.

Stepien, meanwhile, said Trump will hold a campaign rally and baselessly claimed the commission did Biden a favor by scrapping the in-person debate plans for Oct. 15.

“We’ll pass on this sad excuse to bail out Joe Biden and do a rally instead," he said.