Trump says he will not participate in virtual debate: 'I'm not going to waste my time'
Trump made the comments in his first interview since being treated for coronavirus
President Trump said Thursday he will not participate in the next presidential debate -- just minutes after the Commission on Presidential Debates (CPD) announced that the showdown, slated for Oct. 15, will be virtual.
In his first interview since being treated for coronavirus, Trump told FOX Business' Maria Bartiromo that the CPD did not give him any warning for the decision and that he disagrees with the change.
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"No, I’m not going to waste my time on a virtual debate," Trump said Thursday morning, in a phone interview that lasted nearly an hour and covered a variety of topics, including fracking, the vice presidential debate and the Russia probe.
"The commission changed the debate style and that's not acceptable to us," Trump continued. "I beat him in the first debate, I beat him easily."
The president added that he expected to "beat him in the second debate also" and accused those making the decisions of helping his opponent.
"They’re trying to protect Biden," Trump said. "Everybody is.”
Addressing his physical condition days after he and first lady Melania Trump tested positive for COVID-19 diagnosis, the president said he and his wife are doing much better.
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"She’s feeling good, I’m feeling good. Really good," he said. "I had a case. I got it knocked out," he added later.
Trump said he feels capable of getting back on the campaign trail but will continue to take precautions for the time being.
"No, I don’t think I’m contagious at all," he claimed. He noted that even at rallies he is far enough away from other people that it would not be an issue, but that "I still wouldn’t go to a rally if I was contagious."
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Trump praised treatment from Regeneron, crediting it for his recovery.
"I view it as a cure, not just a therapeutic," he said. "It made me better, I will tell you right now."
Trump is pushing for regulators to grant an emergency use authorization for the treatment, as well as one from Eli Lilly.
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Fox News' Brooke Singman contributed to this report.