Fox News has put forward a bold proposal for a presidential debate between former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris, scheduled for September 17.
The debate, if accepted, would be held in the pivotal swing state of Pennsylvania and moderated by Fox anchors Bret Baier and Martha MacCallum.
In letters addressed to both Trump and Harris campaigns, Fox News President Jay Wallace and Vice President of Politics Jessica Loker expressed openness to discussions about the specific details of the event, including the date, format, and location, and whether or not an audience would be present.
The network highlighted its previous engagements with Democratic candidates in past election cycles, despite not hosting a Democratic debate in 2016 or 2020.
Fox News managed to secure town halls with notable Democratic figures such as Hillary Clinton, Bernie Sanders, Pete Buttigieg, and others. The network also provided statistics and ratings emphasizing its appeal to key demographics, including independents in swing states.
The Trump and Harris campaigns have yet to respond to CNN’s requests for comments on the proposal. Trump’s campaign had previously committed to two debates with President Joe Biden this year, one set for June hosted by CNN and another for September 10 by ABC.
However, the status of the ABC debate is uncertain following Biden’s withdrawal from the race. Trump has voiced his dissatisfaction with ABC, expressing a preference for Fox News to host the debate.
In a recent conference call, Trump expressed enthusiasm for debating Harris, indicating he is open to participating in multiple debates. “I absolutely want to debate her. I haven’t agreed to anything. I agreed to a debate with Joe Biden, but I want to debate her, and she’ll be no different, because they have the same policies. I think debating is important for a presidential race; I really do, you sort of have an obligation to debate.” Trump stated
Chioma Kalu
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