Social Media Goes off After Donald Trump Says He Won't Participate in Virtual Debate With Joe Biden

Social media is reeling after President Donald Trump said he would not participate in the upcoming virtual presidential debate against Joe Biden, calling the event "ridiculous" and a waste of time. In an interview with Fox Business' Maria Bartiromo on Thursday morning, he said, "I'm not going to waste my time on a virtual debate. It's not what debating is all about. It's ridiculous."

Trump's comments came just minutes after the nonpartisan Commission on Presidential Debates (CPD) announced that Trump and Biden would appear remotely for a virtual debate after Trump tested positive for the coronavirus last week. The Oct. 15 debate is set to be held in a town hall format with its participants and moderator based in Miami, Florida — where the event was initially going to take place — but with Biden and Trump in "separate remote locations."

While Trump said he would not participate, the Biden campaign signaled in a statement that the former vice president would take part in the event and "looks forward to speaking directly to the American people." When asked earlier this week about the safety of the debate considering Trump's COVID-19 infection, Biden said Tuesday that "we shouldn't have a debate." Trump repeatedly expressed the desire to debate Biden in Miami as scheduled. Social media was flooded with reactions to the turn of events Thursday morning. Here are some highlights.