President Donald Trump, who has coronavirus, has said he will not participate in next week’s US presidential debate if it is held virtually.

Mr Trump said in a Fox Business interview that that arrangement is “not acceptable to us”.

The nonpartisan Commission on Presidential Debates had announced moments earlier that the second debate between Mr Trump and his Democratic rival Joe Biden will take place virtually because of the president’s diagnosis of Covid-19.

The commission cited a need “to protect the health and safety of all involved with the second presidential debate” and said the candidates would “participate from separate remote locations” while the participants and moderator remain in Miami.