When Trump offers a different election debate, Harris declines

On September 4, Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump suggested debating U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris, a Democrat. However, the Harris campaign claimed that Trump was attempting to back out of a debate that was originally scheduled to air on ABC.

Trump stated in a post that he opens a new tab on Truth Social late on Friday that the guidelines would be similar to the first debate with President Joe Biden, who has since withdrawn his candidacy for reelection. However, Trump said that it will be held in Pennsylvania, a battleground state, with a “full arena audience” this time.

The former president had proposed that the debate be shifted to Fox, the network that his supporters like the most, but Trump and Biden had agreed to a second debate on ABC News on September 10.

After obtaining the necessary number of delegates’ votes on Friday to officially become the Democratic nominee for the Nov. 5 election, Harris said on Saturday that she will be taking part in the debate as originally scheduled.

On social networking platform X, she said, “It’s interesting how ‘any time, any place’ becomes ‘one specific time, one specific safe space.'” “As promised, I’ll be there on September 10. Hopefully, he’ll be there.”

Michael Tyler, a spokesman for Harris, claimed that Trump is “running scared” and that her team is open to talking about further debates beyond the one on September 10 that “both campaigns have already agreed to.”

Trump stated on Truth Social on Saturday that Harris is “afraid to do it” and that he will meet her on September 4 “or, I won’t see her at all.”

He said on Friday that the ABC debate had been “terminated” because Biden would not be participating and because he was involved in legal action against the network.

On July 26, ABC unveiled the qualifications and launched a new tab for the discussion, although it made no specific mention of any applicants.

By September 3rd, it is necessary to demonstrate support from pollsters and state ballot access.

Harris and Trump are in a close race according to recent surveys; Trump had a larger lead over Biden during the first debate.

A representative for ABC News stated that the network had no comment on whether or not Trump had left the debate.

An inquiry for comment was not immediately answered by Fox News.
Trump’s request for the Fox debate was made immediately after the Democratic National Committee began mocking him in an ad campaign on Friday, claiming that “the convicted felon is afraid to debate” and raising the possibility that this was because of his views on abortion.

Former Obama advisor David Plouffe, who recently joined the Harris campaign, shared on social media the following: “Now that he’s joined the Harris campaign, he seems content to live in a cocoon, asking his happy place Fox to host a Trump rally and call it a debate.” Perhaps he is limited to arguing with people his own age.”

Harris is59, while Trump is 78.

“I’m only trying to make it to vote for Kamala Harris,” stated former Democratic President Jimmy Carter, who turns 100 on October 1, according to a story published in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution on Saturday.