Trump is apparently planning on participating in the next presidential debate


President Trump is planning in participating in the next presidential debate on Oct. 15, despite his COVID-19 diagnosis, his re-election campaign's communications director Tim Murtagh told CNN on Monday.
Trump said he's feeling well, and is scheduled to be discharged from Walter Reed hospital Monday evening, but there hasn't been any public medical advice suggesting that's a feasible goal yet, and Trump's physician Dr. Sean Conley said Monday that the "final deep sigh of relief" about his health probably won't come until next Monday, just a few days before Trump would have to travel to Miami for the debate.
The coronavirus will affect Wednesday night's vice presidential debate, as well. Both Vice President Mike Pence and Democratic vice presidential nominee Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) have recently tested negative for the coronavirus, but after an initial disagreement between the two sides, the debate commission will reportedly use a plexiglass barrier to separate the candidates, who will be seated 13 feet apart.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
It sounds like Pence's camp isn't thrilled with the idea, Politico reports. Katie Miller, a Pence spokesperson who actually contracted the virus herself earlier this year, said if Harris "wants to use a fortress around herself, have at it."
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Tim is a staff writer at The Week and has contributed to Bedford and Bowery and The New York Transatlantic. He is a graduate of Occidental College and NYU's journalism school. Tim enjoys writing about baseball, Europe, and extinct megafauna. He lives in New York City.
-
The Week Unwrapped: How did Japan become a space superpower?
Podcast Plus, why on earth are Labubu dolls so popular? Will buy-now-pay-later cause a new financial crisis?
-
The week's best photos
In Pictures A tomato fight, painting behind bars, and more
-
Mountainhead: Jesse Armstrong's tech bro satire sparkles with 'weapons-grade zingers'
The Week Recommends The Succession creator's first feature film lacks the hit TV show's 'dramatic richness' – but makes for a horribly gripping watch
-
Shakespeare not an absent spouse, study proposes
speed read A letter fragment suggests that the Shakespeares lived together all along, says scholar Matthew Steggle
-
New Mexico to investigate death of Gene Hackman, wife
speed read The Oscar-winning actor and his wife Betsy Arakawa were found dead in their home with no signs of foul play
-
Giant schnauzer wins top prize at Westminster show
Speed Read Monty won best in show at the 149th Westminster Kennel Club dog show
-
Beyoncé, Kendrick Lamar take top Grammys
Speed Read Beyoncé took home album of the year for 'Cowboy Carter' and Kendrick Lamar's diss track 'Not Like Us' won five awards
-
The Louvre is giving 'Mona Lisa' her own room
Speed Read The world's most-visited art museum is getting a major renovation
-
Honda and Nissan in merger talks
Speed Read The companies are currently Japan's second and third-biggest automakers, respectively
-
Taylor Swift wraps up record-shattering Eras tour
Speed Read The pop star finally ended her long-running tour in Vancouver, Canada
-
Drake claims illegal boosting, defamation
Speed Read The rapper accused Universal Music of boosting Kendrick Lamar's diss track and said UMG allowed him to be falsely accused of pedophilia