God knows these waters break liberal, and sharks patrol them for that globular red Republican meat. But sometimes sharks have to eat their own; true reporters can’t help their nature.

And, as the headline suggests: What the fuck, Joe?

On Thursday, the Infection-in-Chief announced he would not participate in next week’s debate because the bi-partisan Commission on Presidential Debates reasonably decided to hold a virtual argument instead of a live one, given Trump’s alleged positive COVID test.

In response, Trump announced he will hold a rally. Biden’s camp attempted to reschedule the show, and Kate Bedingfield, Biden’s deputy campaign manager, added: “We look forward to participating in the final debate, scheduled for Oct. 22… Donald Trump can show up, or he can decline again. That’s his choice.”

Why in the hell would Joe want another debate? For that matter, why did Kamela Harris debate Mike Pence last night?

For months, the CDC and other medical professionals have urged citizens to look upon COVID the way we view smoke to grasp the contagious nature of the virus. Understanding that analogy, they have told us, is vital to understanding the scope of the pandemic.

Ok, let’s use the smoke analogy. Say Harris, Pence and moderator Susan Page were the only ones in the room (they weren’t). Each had a lit cigarette on their desk that burned the entire hour-and-a-half. Every time one of them spoke, they puffed their respective cigarette. Even with the 12-foot distance between them (was that just a random doubling?), how smoky would that room smell?

Now substitute the term smoky with “contagion-filled.”

If the administration is to be believed (which this is granting them everything), Donald Trump is still actively ill with COVID-19. By the CDC’s own recommendations — which Harris said she believed — Pence should not have been within throwing distance of a non-infected person. Particularly one who is vying to be vice-president.

Because we know Pence is interacting with an unwilling patient. Does anyone believe Trump is following doctors’ recommendations for getting better? The Biden-Harris team don’t know when he contracted it, if he contracted it, or where he is in the recovery process.

Dems need to say “We are done talking until the election, when you will be receiving a phone call from us to pack your shit.”

As for the remaining presidential debates, America saw all it needed to see last week. Other than rubbernecking a grisly car accident, what would future debates illustrate? Is anyone going to be swayed, one way or the other, by any revelation in what would inevitably be a screaming match? If a town hall debate were held on the 22nd, would you want to be in the petri dish?

More importantly, there’s a danger in giving Trump an unedited national stage. His rallies are unhinged enough. Do we want to give this man a hot mic? The Michigan militia already tried a coup after his first order to stand by.

If the last two weeks have told us anything, it’s the cost of underestimating what can kill us. Joe, don’t fumble that message on the 2-yard-line.