美国大选第二场辩论取消！

当地时间10月9日，美国总统辩论委员会取消了原定于本月15日举行的第二场大选辩论，这意味着原定于22日在田纳西州纳什维尔举行的第三场辩论很有可能成为两位候选人的最后一次交锋。

第二场大选辩论原定于10月15日在佛罗里达州迈阿密举行。由于美国总统特朗普和第一夫人梅拉尼娅10月1日确诊感染新冠肺炎，出于防疫安全考虑，美国总统辩论委员会8日表示，第二场大选辩论将改以远程方式进行。尽管拜登阵营表示不介意参加这种形式的辩论，但特朗普已表态不会参加虚拟辩论。

The October 15 presidential debate between U.S. President Donald Trump and Democratic nominee Joe Biden will not proceed, the Commission on Presidential Debates (CPD) said in a statement on Friday, adding that both campaigns had announced "alternate plans for that date."

"It is now apparent there will be no debate on October 15, and the CPD will turn its attention to preparations for the final presidential debate scheduled for October 22," the commission said in an emailed statement.

"Both candidates have agreed to participate in the October 22 debate," said the statement, assuring the final debate, expected to be held at Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee, will be in accordance with "all required testing, masking, social distancing and other protocols."

Screenshot of the statement by the Commission on Presidential Debates, October 9, 2020. /CPD

The commission had announced Thursday it was converting the October 15 town hall debate to a virtual affair out of an abundance of caution because Trump had tested positive for the coronavirus.

But the U.S. president, who has been eager to return to the campaign trail and hold live events, refused to participate in the virtual format and sought unsuccessfully to return it to an in-person debate.

Biden had said earlier this week he would not debate Trump in person if he still had the virus, and his campaign called Trump's refusal to adapt to a virtual format "shameful."

"It's shameful that Donald Trump ducked the only debate in which the voters get to ask the questions – but it's no surprise," Biden spokesman Andrew Bates said, Trump "doesn't have the guts to answer for his record to voters at the same time as vice president Biden."

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