Biden's ABC town hall: Former VP lays out vision in stark contrast to Trump's
Highlights from Biden's town hall with voters in Philadelphia.
With less than three weeks to Election Day, Democratic nominee for president Joe Biden faced voters directly in an ABC News Town Hall from the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia on Thursday night.
The live special edition of "20/20" -- titled "The Vice President and the People" -- was moderated by ABC News Chief Anchor George Stephanopoulos.
The primetime event followed a fiery back-and-forth on the fate of the second presidential debate, which was originally scheduled for Thursday in Miami but ultimately canceled last Friday.
The nonpartisan Commission on Presidential Debates changed its format to be virtual following President Donald Trump's positive COVID-19 diagnosis, to which Trump took issue, saying he wouldn't "waste" time in a virtual debate. With Trump's rejection of the event, Biden then agreed to participate in the town hall with ABC News.
Voters had the opportunity to ask the former vice president the questions most important to them
The event was held in accordance with state and local government health and safety regulations, as well as guidelines set forward by health officials.
Trump, at the same time Thursday, participated in a town hall from Miami with NBC News. The president participated in an ABC News town hall in September.
Latest headlines:
Biden tests negative for COVID-19 in Thursday test
Biden has tested negative for COVID-19, according to a new statement Thursday evening, following their announcement earlier in the day that Biden had tested negative Wednesday night.
"Vice President Biden underwent PCR testing for COVID-19 today and COVID-19 was not detected," the campaign said in the Thursday evening statement.
This test comes after the campaign announced an aviation staffer who flew with Biden Monday and Tuesday of this week, but had no passing or close contact to Biden, tested positive for COVID-19.
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Individual who flew with Biden tests positive for COVID-19
The Biden campaign announced that a person working with the aviation company that charters former Vice President Joe Biden's plane tested positive for COVID-19 Thursday. While that person flew with Biden on Monday and Tuesday, the campaign said they were not in close contact with the former vice president or his campaign staff.
"The Vice President did not even have passing contact: this individual was over 50 feet from VP Biden at all times, entered and exited the aircraft from a rear entrance, and both the individual and the Vice President wore masks for the entire flight," Biden campaign manager Jen O'Malley Dillon said in a statement.
The aviation company employee's diagnosis was discovered as a result of the campaign's contact tracing following the positive diagnosis of Sen. Kamala Harris' communication's director Liz Allen and a non-staff flight crew member.
Although Harris tested negative for COVID-19, she canceled her in-person campaigning through Monday.
Because of Biden's lack of contact with the person who tested positive for COVID-19, his campaign said it would not be taking any additional precautions. Biden will still participate in an ABC News town hall Thursday night.
The Biden campaign announced earlier Thursday that Biden underwent a PCR test for COVID-19 Wednesday night and that test came back negative.
ABC News' Molly Nagle
Biden tests negative for COVID-19
The Biden campaign announced earlier in the day that the former vice president tested negative for COVID-19 Wednesday night -- the eighth publicly announced Biden coronavirus test result.
"As part of our regular routine of testing, Vice President Biden underwent PCR testing for COVID-19 last night and COVID-19 was not detected," the campaign said in a statement.
It came on the heels of another announcement that a top aide to Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif., Biden's running mate, tested positive for COVID-19, prompting Harris to suspend travel "out of an abundance of caution" through Monday.
Harris and her husband, Doug Emhoff, both tested negative for COVID-19 Thursday, the campaign said.
-ABC News' Molly Nagle and Averi Harper
Thursday's town halls focused on the candidates' plans and lack thereof
"World News Tonight" anchor David Muir asked ABC News Chief White House Correspondent Jonathan Karl, who watched the dueling town halls, if the separate appearances moved the needle for people who were undecided.
Karl said that there are so few Americans who are undecided at this point.
"This is such a strange campaign. We have heard very little from either of these two men on about what they would actually do over the next four years," Karl said
Karl noted that after dodging questions on his stance on expanding the Supreme Court, Biden answered Thursday night after being pushed by Stephanopoulos.
"We have what appears to be a commitment that after the Amy Coney Barrett vote, he will tell the American people. He said voters have the right to know where he stands," Karl said.
During Trump's town hall, the president didn't answer a question from a voter on his plan for rising health care costs, something Karl said the president had four years to come up with.
"It was abundantly clear that he has absolutely no plan. This is something he's had four years, nearly four years in office, to come up with," Karl said.
"He basically said that what he has done is he's done away with the individual mandate with Obamacare, and then talked a little more about Obamacare is not a good thing, and we need something better, but absolutely nothing about what he'd actually do on health care," he added.