Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump has proposed a debate with Democratic U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris on Fox News, scheduled for September 4. This proposal was met with resistance from the Harris campaign, which accused Trump of attempting to back out of a previously agreed-upon debate set to air on ABC on September 10.
In a post on Truth Social late Friday, Trump outlined his vision for the debate, which would mirror the format of his first debate with President Joe Biden, who has since exited the reelection race. Trump emphasised that the new debate would feature a “full arena audience” and take place in Pennsylvania, a crucial battleground state.
Previously, Trump and Biden had agreed to a second debate on ABC News on September 10, which Trump suggested should be moved to Fox. Following Biden’s withdrawal from the race, Harris, having recently secured the delegate votes needed to clinch the Democratic nomination, confirmed on Saturday her intention to attend the originally scheduled debate. “It’s interesting how ‘any time, any place’ becomes ‘one specific time, one specific safe space,'” she wrote on X. “I’ll be there on September 10, like he agreed to. I hope to see him there.”
Harris spokesperson Michael Tyler criticised Trump, claiming he is “running scared” and reiterated that Harris’s campaign is open to discussing additional debates after the September 10 event. Tyler highlighted that both campaigns had already agreed to this date.
Trump responded on social media, stating that the ABC debate was “terminated” due to Biden’s withdrawal and his ongoing litigation with the network.
Recent polls indicate a tight race between Harris and Trump, who previously had a larger lead over Biden following their first debate. ABC News has not confirmed whether Harris would appear alone if Trump does not participate. Similarly, Fox News has not commented on the matter.
Trump’s debate proposal followed an advertising campaign launched by the Democratic National Committee on Friday, which mocked him as a “convicted felon afraid to debate” and questioned if his hesitance was linked to his stance on abortion.
David Plouffe, an adviser to former President Barack Obama who recently joined the Harris campaign, criticised Trump’s proposal on X. “Now, he seems only comfortable in a cocoon, asking his happy place Fox to host a Trump rally and call it a debate. Maybe he can only handle debating someone his own age,” Plouffe wrote. Trump is 78, while Harris is 59.
Melissa Enoch
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