WASHINGTON (AP) — The University of Notre Dame has become the second university to withdraw as the host of one of this fall’s three scheduled presidential debates amid the coronavirus pandemic.
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The university was set to host the inaugural face-off between President Donald Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden on Sept. 29. The first debate will now be hosted by Case Western Reserve University and Cleveland Clinic in Cleveland, the nonpartisan Commission on Presidential Debates announced Monday.
The commission has selected Cleveland Clinic as its health adviser for all three presidential debates and the one scheduled vice presidential debate.
In a release, Notre Dame President the Rev. John Jenkins said the university made “this difficult decision because the necessary health precautions would have greatly diminished the educational value of hosting the debate on our campus.”
The University of Michigan was scheduled to host the second presidential debate but withdrew last month. That debate will now be held at the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts in Miami.
We know the reason. It’s because they don’t want Joe Demented Biden to be seen and heard debating.
They don’t want America to see a doddering 78 year old almost senile candidate .
There will not be debates. DevilDemons are scared.
The gang surrounding Biden will never allow debates, nor live press conferences with questions , nor serious interviews with news hosts.
This gang will run the country if their Charley McCarthy should steal the election thru these mailed cheat ballots.
The Biden voter won’t be voting for him , they’ll vote for a criminal Marxist Politburo.
There’s a first debate scheduled but guaranteed it won’t happen.
boy oh boy, you fools are in for a shocking surprise….
Who cares ? He served nearly 30 years as a senator and 8 as Veep and accomplished nothing.
Nobody votes FOR this fool. They vote AGAINST Trump.
Everyone here knows Biden is just a 3 card monte front for sinister dark forces.
He won’t even be the nominee.
Convention won’t nominate him. Fireworks, friends. Fireworks, just wait.
Hundreds getting shot, businesses destroyed, parents scared for their kids, no school, no mom/pop stores anymore, police beaten..
Now go vote for Biden. Dare you !!!
Another tough break for the President. The only thing he seems to have a talent for is television.
What a great zchus for Cleveland !
Trump was matzliach there in 2016 and will be again in 2020 and Kasich should still stay away.
Aw, tsk , tsk. Let Joe debate, come on. I’ll pass him the questions in advance anyway. Right, Lester Holt ?
In a release, Notre Dame President the Rev. John Jenkins said the university made “this difficult decision because the necessary health precautions would have greatly diminished the educational value of hosting the debate on our campus.”
Huh there were not suppose to be anyone in the audience. A large room with a few camera men and two people debating is unsafe?
We can’t allow Team Biden to threaten all these venues into backing out. Bidens handlers treat Joe like a little kid, to be seen – not heard.
Debates on zoom…why not
Yes Biden cancelled because he can’t debate. Yes Biden will break social norms. But so did Trump break the rules. When Trump follows norms and releases tax returns Biden will follow norms and debate . Till then he can also break norms and won’t debate .
Zoom debates…why not?
“The inevitable reduction in student attendance in the debate hall, volunteer opportunities and ancillary educational events undermined the primary benefit of hosting — to provide our students with a meaningful opportunity to engage in the American political process,” Jenkins wrote.
In addition to the health of students, Fox said he was concerned about bringing hundreds of people, including campaign staff, security personnel and news media, to town amid the pandemic.
Another factor in the decision, he said, was “the wild card that no one knows: in this political climate, the potential for significant demonstrations or protests, over which there’s very little control.”
University spokesman Paul Browne said it became clear over the past month that physical distancing requirements would have allowed fewer than 100 students to attend — out of a total of 8,500 undergraduates. A watch party at Notre Dame Stadium also would have been canceled.
“The rationale for us to do it went away with the lack of student participation that we had hoped for,” Browne said. “We just became a place as any other place without that student engagement.”