Trump says he wants to meet Harris for three debates in September. During a press conference on Thursday, the former president said he had accepted invitations from NBC News, Fox News, and ABC News.
Former President Donald Trump said Thursday that he is willing to hold three debates with Vice President Kamala Harris next month.
Trump said during a press conference at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida, that “I think it’s very important to have debates,”. That he had accepted invitations from NBC News, Fox News, and ABC News.
During that statement, Trump appeared to misspell some dates. Both ABC News and the Trump campaign later clarified that the ABC News debate would take place on Sept. 10.
Prior to that, the debate had been agreed upon with Fox News for Sept. 4. However, other sources have said the debate is set for Sept. 25, one of several dates the campaign has suggested.
Biden and Trump Deal
When President Joe Biden was still in the race, Trump and his campaign agreed to hold two debates: one on CNN on June 27 and one on ABC News on September 10.
Then Biden dropped out of the race and endorsed Harris. Trump has since claimed he doesn’t have to participate in the debates.
Last week, he said he would skip the ABC News debate because it was “been terminated in that Biden will no longer be a participant.”
“The Vice President will be there one way or the other to take the opportunity to speak to a prime time national audience. We’re happy to discuss further debates after the one both campaigns have already agreed to”. Harris campaign communications director Michael Taylor said in a statement after Trump dropped out.
Trump finally gave an answer
On Thursday night, Harris confirmed she would participate in the ABC News debate, saying, “I am looking forward to debating Donald Trump, and we have a date of Sept. 10. I hear he’s finally committed to it, and I’m looking forward to it.” She did not comment on other dates.
Trump also said Thursday that his campaign had agreed to a vice presidential debate on CBS News. He added that his running mate, Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance, “really stepped up to the plate to get this thing going.” He did a terrific job.
At his first rally since Harris nominated Tim Walz as Minnesota governor, he said of Vance, “I can’t wait to debate this guy.” At a campaign event in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, on Wednesday, Vance declined to debate Walz. He suggested there was still a chance he would not be the Democratic vice presidential nominee. There was no evidence to support that assertion.
“We don’t know who the vice presidential nominee is going to be, either,,” Vance told reporters. He added that Democrats could “pull a bait and switch”
Harris and Walz were officially confirmed as the Democratic presidential and vice presidential nominees this week.
CBS News and Fox News did not immediately respond to requests for comment.