JUDY WOODRUFF: To debate or not to debate, in-person or not in-person. Those questions
dominated the U.S. presidential campaign this day. President Trump insisted he won't agree
to a virtual encounter online, and Joe Biden balked at delaying their debate.
It all came a day after their running mates faced off.
Amna Nawaz begins our coverage.
AMNA NAWAZ: With 26 days until Election Day, the Democratic ticket headed to Arizona, where
former Vice President Joe Biden took a moment to hail Senator Kamala Harris' debate performance
the night before.
JOE BIDEN (D), Presidential Candidate: This is one of the finest persons I have ever dealt
with. This is a person who is ready on day one to be the president of the United States
of America.
This is a person who has more integrity in their little finger than most people have
in their whole body. And the idea -- it's obvious he cannot -- he has great difficulty
dealing with strong women.
AMNA NAWAZ: Meanwhile, back in Washington, President Trump threw next week's debate with
Biden into turmoil.
DONALD TRUMP, President of the United States: No, I'm not going to waste my time on a virtual
debate. That's not what debating is all about, you sit behind a computer and do a debate.
It's ridiculous.
AMNA NAWAZ: First refusing to take part after the Debate Commission this morning announced
a virtual format to -- quote -- "protect the health and safety of all involved," later
agreeing with a Biden campaign suggestion that the debate be delayed one week, so it
could still be held in-person.
In a statement, Trump campaign manager Bill Stepien said -- quote -- "We agree that this
should happen on October 22, and, accordingly, the third debate should then be shifted back
one week to October 29."
Biden campaign manager Kate Bedingfield fired back, writing: "Trump's erratic behavior does
not allow him to rewrite the calendar," and insisting the final debate remain on October
22. "Donald Trump can show up," Bedingfield said, "or he can decline again."
JOE BIDEN: We set the dates. I'm sticking with the dates. I'm showing up. I will be
there. And, in fact, if he shows up, fine. If he doesn't, fine.
AMNA NAWAZ: In another scheduling shift, this afternoon, ABC News announced it would host
a Biden town hall in Philadelphia on October 15, now that the president had backed out
of that night's debate.
The back-and-forth on debate planning comes after an intense back-and-forth between the
vice presidential candidates last night.
SEN. KAMALA HARRIS (D-CA), Vice Presidential Candidate: No, I -- no, but, Susan, I -- this
is important...
MIKE PENCE, Vice President of the United States: Susan, I have to weigh in here.
SEN. KAMALA HARRIS: Mr. Vice President, I'm speaking.
MIKE PENCE: I have to weigh in.
SEN. KAMALA HARRIS: I'm speaking.
AMNA NAWAZ: In a debate dominated by the pandemic, Senator Harris slammed the White House response,
calling it:
SEN. KAMALA HARRIS: The greatest failure of any presidential administration in the history
of our country.
I want to ask the American people, how calm were you when you were panicked about where
you're going to get your next roll of toilet paper? How calm were you when your kids were
sent home from school and you didn't know when they could go back?
AMNA NAWAZ: Vice President Pence, the head of the White House Coronavirus Task Force,
defended the decision to not create a federally coordinated response.
MIKE PENCE: The difference here is President Trump and I trust the American people to make
choices in the best interest of their health.
Joe Biden and Kamala Harris consistently talk about mandates. We're about freedom and respecting
the freedom of the American people.
AMNA NAWAZ: In stark contrast to the first presidential face-off, peppered with interruptions
and heckling from the president, Harris and Pence largely stuck to the issues, and their
campaign messages.
MIKE PENCE: Your Green New Deal, your massive new mandates, your Paris Climate Accord, it's
going to kill jobs this time just like it killed jobs in the last administration.
SEN. KAMALA HARRIS: I just need to respond very briefly, please.
Joe Biden believes you measure the health and the strength of America's economy based
on the health and the strength of the American worker and the American family. On the other
hand, you have Donald Trump, who measures the strength of the economy based on how rich
people are doing.
AMNA NAWAZ: Voters from both sides of the aisle who watched the debate with us, said
they welcomed the change in tone.
Who felt better about the way the debate went tonight? Raise your hand if you felt better.
But most were unsatisfied with the candidates' answers.
LORRAINE ZAPATA, Elementary School Principal: I do feel like both candidates were dodging
the question.
JAROD MADINGER, Sales Consultant: We get it. You all don't like Trump. We get it. Attack
the points.
AMNA NAWAZ: And they're wary of what the next presidential debate could bring.
BRUCE PENUEL, Retired Police Officer: I hope it doesn't repeat itself, but, if it does,
I don't see any sense in continuing to watch.
AMNA NAWAZ: Weighing whether or not to tune in the next time the candidates take to the
debate stage.
For the "PBS NewsHour," I'm Amna Nawaz.