U.S. President Donald Trump said Friday that he will return to the campaign trail as he has recovered from the coronavirus, but next week's debate with Democratic challenger Joe Biden has been canceled after he refused to take part in the proposed virtual format.
"Will be in Sanford, Florida on Monday for a very BIG RALLY!" the 74-year-old Republican president tweeted, as he struggles to turn around the dimming prospects of the Nov. 3 presidential election.
Biden, the 77-year-old former vice president, has seen his lead over Trump widen to a double-digit margin in some national polls, following last week's first presidential debate, which saw Trump continually interrupt and personally attack his rival, and news that the president tested positive for the virus.
Trump said in an interview on Fox News that was aired Friday evening that he feels "really good" and "very strong," and that he is now "medication-free."
Asked whether he has been tested for the virus, he said, "I haven't even found out numbers or anything yet but I've been retested and I know I'm at either the bottom of the scale or free."
Trump will also host on Saturday his first in-person event at the White House since testing positive for the highly contagious virus, with U.S. media reporting he will address the crowd from the balcony.
Trump will deliver his "law and order" message, which he has used to appeal to voters concerned over the racial unrest that has turned violent in some cities in the country, according to the White House.
Even though Trump has emphasized he has recovered from COVID-19, the respiratory illness caused by the virus, the Commission on Presidential Debates said Thursday that the second presidential debate scheduled a week later would go virtual.
The president refused to participate in such a debate, calling it "ridiculous" and that "they cut you off whenever they want."
Both Trump and Biden campaigns had come up with alternate plans, but they failed to bridge their differences.
"It is now apparent there will be no debate on Oct. 15," the commission said in a statement issued on Friday, adding that it "will turn its attention to preparations for the final presidential debate scheduled for Oct. 22."
The final debate will take place at Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee.
The Trump campaign criticized the commission saying "there is no medical reason" to stop the Thursday debate in Florida from proceeding as scheduled, since the president will be "healthy and ready to debate."
It also proposed having a one-on-one debate "without the commission's interference."
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says on its website that a person who has COVID-19 should isolate for at least 10 days, or up to 20 days for those who are struck down with a severe case.
Trump's physician Sean Conley said Thursday that he fully anticipated the president's "safe return to public engagements" on Saturday, saying it will be "day 10" since the diagnosis of his infection.
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