The President will not attend a debate if it isn’t in-person.

The second debate for the 2020 US Presidential Election between current President Donald Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden is currently scheduled for October 15, next Thursday. However, due the President’s recent hospitalization for COVID-19 and the rise of infections amongst White House staff, the Commission on Presidential Debates, a bipartisan committee that determines the rules and regulations of the debates, has decided the next debate should be held virtually. In this format, the two candidates would dial in from separate locations and answer questions from commenters in a Town Hall-style discussion.

However, shortly after the CPD’s announcement, Trump announced that he would not be participating in the debate if it is not held in-person. “No, I’m not going to waste my time on a virtual debate,” he said during an interview with Fox Business. After this announcement, Trump’s campaign manager, Bill Stepien, added that the President is considering holding another rally instead of attending the debate.

The CPD has explained that their decision to make the debate remote was in the interest of the safety and health of all involved, including the candidates, staff, and moderators. According to public health officials, anyone who exhibits the symptoms of COVID-19 need to be isolated from others for 10-20 days, depending on the severity of their condition. As it has only been six days since Trump’s official diagnosis (though the White House has refused to divulge when the President’s last negative reading actually was), there is a distinct possibility he is still contagious.

Biden, for his part, had previously said that the debate should be cancelled while the President is still contagious with the virus. After the CPD’s announcement, though, he said he would be willing to participate in a virtual debate. It has not yet been decided what will happen to the event if Trump does not attend.