In a conversation about decorum between the two presidential candidates, Biden campaign co-chair Cedric Richmond has made it clear that he will not be extending his hand for a handshake to former President Donald Trump on the stage of the CNN Presidential Debate scheduled for Thursday night.

During an interview on CNN, Richmond expressed his stance, stating, "I don't think I would [shake Trump's hand], but President Biden consistently rises above pettiness, unlike Donald Trump. So I would leave that up to him, but with what I've been through with the former president, I certainly would not."

Richmond's decision stems from the events that unfolded on January 6th, when insurrectionists, including the Proud Boys, stormed the Capitol in an attempt to overturn the 2020 election results. Recalling his presence on that fateful day, Richmond explained, "I was in the Capitol when [Trump] sent insurrectionists, the Proud Boys and others to the Capitol, chanting 'Hang Mike Pence,' looking for Leader [Nancy] Pelosi, I was there that day. Because of that, I don't think I would [shake his hand]."

Furthermore, Richmond spoke about the recent legal developments involving the former president. He referred to Trump as a "convicted felon" following his guilty verdict on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records in May. Richmond stated, "If it looks like a duck, walks like a duck, and quacks like a duck, it's a duck. He's a convicted felon, and that's just who he is. And by the way, he's a twice-impeached convicted felon."

The CNN interview also touched upon the upcoming debate and the possibility of President Biden referring to Trump as a "convicted felon" on the debate stage. Richmond indicated that he was uncertain about Biden's approach but assured that he would personally use this term. He emphasized, "It wasn't Joe Biden that did that, it was 12 American patriots who served as jurors that found him guilty unanimously on 34 counts, and so I'm not sure if the president will or not, but I certainly will. He's a convicted felon."

As for the response from both the Biden and Trump campaigns, there has been no official comment provided at the time of writing.

The CNN Presidential Debate, which will see Biden and Trump face off once again, is set to take place on Thursday night. This highly anticipated event will be hosted by CNN and simulcast on Fox News.

This article was created using information from an interview conducted by CNN's Kasie Hunt with Cedric Richmond, co-chair of the Biden campaign, and quotes from Richmond on the issues of shaking hands with Trump and referring to him as a "convicted felon."