New York (CNN Business) If President Trump really does boycott next week's presidential debate, he will be giving up a chance to speak in front of 60 to 70 million people. So, given the president's television fixation and his intense focus on ratings, there are 60 to 70 million reasons to believe that he will backtrack from his current position. Trump said on Thursday morning, in his first interview since his hospitalization for a coronavirus infection, that "I am not going to do a virtual debate." Specifically, he objected to the Commission on Presidential Debates' decision to turn the scheduled October 15 debate into a remote broadcast, with Trump and Joe Biden participating from separate studios. Biden's campaign immediately said he agreed to the new structure, but the Trump campaign said they'll "do a rally instead."

Source: CNN October 08, 2020 14:14 UTC