Biden says if Trump ‘still has Covid, we shouldn’t have a debate.’

Joseph R. Biden Jr., the Democratic presidential nominee, said on Tuesday night that there should not be a debate if President Trump “still has Covid,” just hours after Mr. Trump said he intended to participate in next week’s presidential debate in Miami.

Asked by reporters on Tuesday night whether he would feel safe debating Mr. Trump, who was hospitalized last week with the coronavirus, Mr. Biden responded: “I think if he still has Covid, we shouldn’t have a debate.”

But Mr. Biden said his decision would be guided by the Cleveland Clinic and doctors.

“I think we were gonna have to follow very strict guidelines,” he said. “Too many people have been infected. It’s a very serious problem, so I will be guided by the guidelines of the Cleveland Clinic and what the docs say is the right thing to do.”

Mr. Biden’s remarks introduced fresh uncertainty into the debate calendar and whether either of the two remaining presidential debates would go forward as scheduled, after Mr. Trump revealed last week that he had tested positive for the coronavirus and was later hospitalized.