Statements from Debate Sponsor Cleveland Clinic

Statements from Cleveland Clinic Regarding the Presidential Debate

Statement from Cleveland Clinic on President Trump, First Lady testing positive for COVID-19 

October 2, 2020 – 1:20 p.m.
“Our thoughts are with the President, First Lady and all of our guests. As health advisor to the Commission on Presidential Debates and the host site, we had requirements to maintain a safe environment that align with CDC guidelines – including social distancing, hand sanitizing, temperature checks and masking. Most importantly, everyone permitted inside the debate hall tested negative for COVID-19 prior to entry. Individuals traveling with both candidates, including the candidates themselves, had been tested and tested negative by their respective campaigns. Based on what we know about the virus and the safety measures we had in place, we believe there is low risk of exposure to our guests. Out of an abundance of caution, we are reaching out to our guests to address any questions and concerns. We will continue to monitor the information being released by the White House.”


Statement from Cleveland Clinic clarifying 11 people who tested positive for COVID-19
October 2, 2020 – 7:50 p.m.
“It’s important to clarify the 11 people who tested positive never accessed the debate hall. These individuals were either members of the media or were scheduled to work logistics/set-up in the days prior to the event. Individuals did not receive credentials or tickets to enter the debate hall until they had a negative test, and all were advised to isolate while they awaited their test results.”