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Biden’s NBC town hall is still on, while Trump is back at the White House after contracting COVID-19

Monday's town hall could be a preview of the second presidential debate if President Donald Trump isn't medically cleared to participate.

Democratic presidential candidate former Vice President Joe Biden boards his campaign plane in Michigan on Friday, Oct. 2, 2020.
Democratic presidential candidate former Vice President Joe Biden boards his campaign plane in Michigan on Friday, Oct. 2, 2020.Read moreAndrew Harnik / AP
  1. Joe Biden Town Hall in Miami

  2. Date: Monday, Oct. 5

  3. Time: 8 p.m. Eastern

  4. Location: Pérez Art Museum Miami

  5. TV: NBC, MSNBC, CNBC

Less than an hour after President Donald Trump — still being treated for COVID-19 — returned to the White House, former Vice President Joe Biden will take the stage for a town hall that will air live on NBC Monday night.

Biden appeared on stage with Trump during last week’s presidential debate, and it’s possible the president had already been infected with coronavirus prior to the event. The former vice president has since tested negative for COVID-19 multiple times — most recently Sunday night, according to his campaign.

Monday’s town hall will be held outdoors at Pérez Art Museum Miami in downtown Miami, featuring a socially distanced audience of about 60 people, NBC said. Attendees will be required to wear face masks, and everyone will have their temperature checked prior to entering, according to a spokesperson. It will air live on NBC, MSNBC, and CNBC.

The NBC town hall could be a preview of the second presidential debate, which is scheduled to take place Oct. 15 in Miami. If Trump is not healthy enough to attend or is held back out of fear of spreading the virus, Biden’s campaign said the former vice president would participate in the second debate — a town hall format that will be moderated by C-SPAN political editor Steve Scully — by himself.

“We are hoping President Trump can participate. We’re hoping that he’s medically able to participate, and that is up to his doctors to clear him," Symone Sanders, a senior Biden campaign adviser, said during an interview on CNN Sunday. "But Joe Biden will be at that debate.”

Here’s everything you need to know to watch and stream Monday night’s town hall on NBC:

How can I watch and stream Biden’s Miami town hall?

The town hall, which will air live on NBC, MSNBC, and CNBC, is scheduled to begin at 8 p.m. Eastern and last about an hour.

You can stream the town hall on the NBC News app and on NBCNews.com. The networks are also available on several so-called skinny bundles, including fuboTV, YouTube TV, Hulu + Live TV, and AT&T Now.

You can also stream it here, courtesy of NBC News:

Who will be moderating Biden’s town hall?

Moderating the town hall will be Lester Holt, the anchor of NBC Nightly News. Holt has been with NBC News since 2003, and has hosted NBC Nightly News since 2015, replacing Brian Williams, who falsely claimed his helicopter had been hit by enemy fire while covering the Iraq War.

Holt moderated the first presidential debate between Trump and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in 2016. Prior to the debate, Trump famously complained that “Lester is a Democrat," despite Holt being a registered Republican at the time. In 2018, Holt officially removed his party affiliation and registered as an independent.

Holt is probably best known in political circles for getting Trump to admit he had fired former FBI Director James Comey due to his investigation into Russian interference during the 2016 election.

Biden sat for an interview with Holt in January, but the pre-coronavirus conversation feels like a lifetime ago, with topics centered around the assassination of Iranian General Qassem Suleimani and the then-undecided Democratic primary. But Trump’s tax returns, which have returned to the news recently thanks to a New York Times investigation, did come up.

“Stop talking about corruption, Mr. President, unless you release your tax returns,” Biden said. “Hush up. Step up.”

Recent stories about the 2020 election

2020 presidential debate schedule

The Trump and Biden campaigns have agreed to three debates during the 2020 election. The first debate was held last week in Ohio, and the remaining two are in doubt after Trump contracted coronavirus.

  1. Oct. 15: Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts in Miami, moderated by C-SPAN Political Editor Steve Scully

  2. Oct. 22: Belmont University in Nashville, Tenn., moderated by NBC News White House correspondent (and Philadelphia native) Kristen Welker

A debate between Harris and Vice President Mike Pence is scheduled for Wednesday at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City. USA Today Washington bureau chief Susan Page will be the moderator, and the Commission on Presidential Debates agreed to increase the distance between Harris and Pence to 12 feet apart.