Debate commissioner: Press would be present to monitor Donald Trump, Joe Biden in virtual debate

Frank Fahrenkopf, who co-chairs the Commission on Presidential Debates, said Thursday that there would be media present for the would-be virtual debate between President Trump and Joseph R. Biden to prevent cheating.

“The president said, you don’t want that kind of a debate where you’re sitting in front of a computer. You’re not,” Mr. Fahrenkopf said on Fox News.

He said the president could participate in the debate from the Oval Office if he wanted to.

“There would be people present, press people, also with Biden — people there to make sure that he wasn’t reading off a teleprompter, that he’s answering the question,” Mr. Fahrenkopf said.

The president’s team and Republicans have objected to the virtual format in part because they think it would allow Mr. Biden to get off-camera cues from aides.

“I think the president wasn’t perhaps properly briefed by his people as to what we’re talking about when we’re talking about a virtual debate,” Mr. Fahrenkopf said.

The commission had said earlier Thursday that they were switching to a virtual format for the Oct. 15 debate between Mr. Trump and Mr. Biden to protect the health and safety of organizers and participants amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Mr. Trump swiftly put the kibosh on participating in a virtual debate with Mr. Biden.

The president’s campaign floated pushing the final two debates to Oct. 22 and Oct. 29 before demanding late Thursday that the commission hold an in-person debate as scheduled in Miami on Oct. 15.

The White House released a note from Mr. Trump’s doctor late Thursday saying that the president should be able to return to “public engagements” on Saturday after he was hospitalized for the coronavirus for several days.

The third and final presidential debate is currently scheduled for Oct. 22 in Nashville. Mr. Biden’s team says they’re not entertaining the idea of participating in a debate any later than Oct. 22.

Mr. Fahrenkopf told The Associated Press late Thursday that the commission was sticking with the new virtual format for the Oct. 15 debate if it happens.

Mr. Biden’s team had already announced that he would be participating in a separate ABC town hall event on Oct. 15 after Mr. Trump said he wouldn’t participate in a virtual debate.