Former President and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump declined to engage in a debate with his Democratic opponent, Vice President Kamala Harris, until the Democratic Party officially names its nominee. In response, Harris expressed her readiness for the debate.
“You have been asking me about the debate and I'll tell you I'm ready to debate Donald Trump. I have agreed to the previously agreed upon September 10 debate,” Harris stated to reporters at Joint Base Andrews following her trip to Houston.
“He (Trump) agreed to that previously. Now here he is backpedaling and I’m ready and I think the voters deserve to see the split screen that exists in this race on a debate stage. And so I'm ready to go,” Harris said.
Trump was officially declared the Republican nominee at the party’s convention in Milwaukee earlier this month. Harris is expected to be confirmed as the Democratic nominee at their convention in Chicago in August.
Steven Cheung, the Trump Campaign Communications Director, explained in a late-night statement, “Given the continued political chaos surrounding Crooked Joe Biden and the Democrat Party, general election debate details cannot be finalized until Democrats formally decide on their nominee."
Cheung further criticized, “There is a strong sense by many in the Democrat Party - namely Barack Hussein Obama - that Kamala Harris is a Marxist fraud who cannot beat President Trump, and they are still holding out for someone “better.” Therefore, it would be inappropriate to schedule things with Harris because Democrats very well could still change their minds."
Trump and President Joe Biden, who recently withdrew from the race and was replaced by Harris, had earlier agreed to two debates, on June 27 and September 10. Biden’s poor performance in the Atlanta debate on June 27 led to his withdrawal from the race three weeks later. The September 10 debate was to be hosted by ABC News, while CNN hosted the June 27 debate.
Earlier this week, Trump mentioned his willingness to debate Harris, stating, “But I want to debate with her and she'll be no different because they have the same policies. I would be willing to do more than one debate actually."
In the meantime, Fox News Media has suggested a debate between Trump and Harris on September 17 in Pennsylvania.
"Now that Vice President Kamala Harris is the presumptive Democratic nominee, FOX News Media is amending our proposal for a debate this cycle. Given the race has changed, we’d like to request the opportunity to host a Presidential Debate between VP Harris and former President Trump," Fox News Media stated in correspondence with both campaigns.
"We propose to host the debate in the state of Pennsylvania on Tuesday, September 17, just as early voting is getting underway there and in other key battlegrounds. We are open to discussion on the exact date, format and location – with or without an audience," the letter said.
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