The competing town halls come on the night of the second scheduled presidential debate that was cancelled after Trump refused to go along with the commission changing the format from an in-person town hall with the candidates in Miami to a remote setting following Trump’s infection with the COVID-19 China coronavirus at the beginning of the month. Biden’s town hall is set for ninety minutes, while Trump’s is set for sixty minutes.
NBC said Trump had been cleared for the debate by Dr. Anthony Fauci. Earlier this week Fauci had loudly complained about a new Trump campaign ad featuring excerpt from an interview earlier this year of Fauci praising Trump’s response to the pandemic.
President Donald Trump will take part in an NBC News town hall event in Miami on Thursday, the network announced Wednesday, after Trump produced a Covid-19 test showing he is not contagious.
The town hall, moderated by “TODAY” anchor Savannah Guthrie, will take place on the same evening — and at the same time — that Joe Biden is doing his own town hall event in Philadelphia on ABC News at 8 p.m. ET.