University of Notre Dame pulled out as host of the first 2020 U.S. presidential debate, which will instead be held in Cleveland on Sept. 29, the Commission on Presidential Debates said on Monday.
The Hill reported on Notre Dame Rev. President John Jenkins' announcement. He said Monday that the school would withdraw as host of the debate, saying the burdensome health precautions needed amid the pandemic would interfere with student education.
“I am grateful to the many members of the University community who have devoted countless hours planning this event, and to the Commission on Presidential Debates leadership for their professionalism and understanding,” Jenkins said in a statement. “But in the end, the constraints the coronavirus pandemic put on the event — as understandable and necessary as they are — have led us to withdraw.”
The first debate will now be co-hosted by Case Western Reserve University and Cleveland Clinic, it said in a statement. Three additional debates are scheduled in Salt Lake City, Utah, on Oct. 7, Miami on Oct. 15 and Nashville on Oct. 22.
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