The latest on the 2020 election

By Meg Wagner, Melissa Mahtani, Melissa Gray, Melissa Macaya and Veronica Rocha, CNN

Updated 0219 GMT (1019 HKT) October 9, 2020
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8:24 a.m. ET, October 8, 2020

Here's what Susan Page, VP debate moderator, says about last night

From CNN's Aditi Sangal

Justin Sullivan/Pool/AFP/Getty Images
Justin Sullivan/Pool/AFP/Getty Images

Wednesday’s vice presidential debate between Sen. Kamala Harris and Vice President Mike Pence was more polite than last week's Trump-Biden showdown and covered more topics. But both candidates often ignored the questions they were asked.

“I think the goal of the moderator is to try, in my view, ask a narrow question in the hope of getting an answer. That was often less successful than I’d hoped, and let the candidates take it over and debate among themselves. It is a debate among them that I was trying to facilitate,” said USA Today’s Susan Page, who moderated the debate.

Still, Page admits she was surprised at the level of non-answers.

“I thought if I asked a question about abortion, the response would be something about abortion, but that was not the case,” she said.

Since it was not an interview or a news conference, Page says she did not push for an answer.

Had it been a news conference or an interview, Page says she would have been “pretty aggressive in trying to follow up to press him on the question I asked,” but given the debate format, she changed her approach.

“In this case, I was really there just to help voters get some illumination about those candidates. And when they answered the questions I asked, I thought that was illuminating. And when they refused to answer the questions I asked, I thought that was also illuminating,” she said. “It's not about me. It wasn't even really about the campaigns. It was: What do voters need to see or hear to help them make their big decision in this coming week?”

Page was also more prepared to enforce rules after watching Chris Wallace moderate the first presidential debate.

“It made me a little more aggressive at the beginning. You know, I actually spoke longer than I ordinarily would have at the introduction, laying out exactly what the rules were that the two campaigns had agreed to.”

8:21 a.m. ET, October 8, 2020

Biden campaign says he will participate in the virtual debate

From CNN's Dan Merica 

Getty Images
Getty Images

Former vice president Joe Biden will participate on next week's virtual debate, deputy campaign manager and communications director to the Biden campaign Kate Bedingfield said in a statement this morning. 

Here's her full statement:

"Vice President Biden looks forward to speaking directly to the American people and comparing his plan for bringing the country together and building back better with Donald Trump's failed leadership on the coronavirus that has thrown the strong economy he inherited into the worst downturn since the Great Depression."
8:19 a.m. ET, October 8, 2020

President Trump says he won't participate in a virtual debate

Julio Cortez/Patrick Semansky/AP
Julio Cortez/Patrick Semansky/AP

President Trump reacted to news that the Commission on Presidential Debates will make the next debate virtual, saying it's “not acceptable” and he would not participate.

“I learned that the commission a little while ago change the debate style. And then that's not acceptable to us,” Trump said during an appearance on Fox Business. “I’m not going to do a virtual debate.”

He added, “I’m not going to waste my time on a virtual debate. That’s not what debating is all about,” calling it “ridiculous.”

He lamented that the commission “didn’t even tell us about it.”

“They called up two minutes ago and it was announced,” Trump said of the commission, claiming that the nonpartisan group is “trying to protect Joe Biden.”

The decision to move the debate virtual came days after Trump’s coronavirus diagnosis and subsequent hospitalization. Trump said Thursday that he feels “perfect” and there’s “nothing wrong” and he’s ready to hold campaign rallies.

8:35 a.m. ET, October 8, 2020

What did you think of last night's debate?

From CNN's Melissa Mahtani

Vice President Mike Pence and California Sen. Kamala Harris had their only debate of the 2020 election campaign last night, and we want to know what you thought about it.

Did either candidate make an impact on you? Send us your thoughts using the form below.

8:18 a.m. ET, October 8, 2020

Next week's debate will be held virtually

From CNN's Chandelis Duster

The empty stage of the first US Presidential debate is seen on September 29 in Cleveland, Ohio.
The empty stage of the first US Presidential debate is seen on September 29 in Cleveland, Ohio. ERIC BARADAT/AFP via Getty Images

The second presidential debate will be held virtually, the Commission on Presidential Debates announced Thursday morning in the wake of President Trump's positive test for coronavirus.

"The second presidential debate will take the form of a town meeting, in which the candidates would participate from separate remote locations," the commission said in a statement.

"The town meeting participants and the moderator, Steve Scully, Senior Executive Producer & Political Editor, C-SPAN Networks, will be located at the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County in Miami, Florida. The White House Pool will provide coverage of the second presidential debate."

The second debate is scheduled to be held on October 15. Trump tested positive for coronavirus last week.