Trump proposes to debate VP Harris on Fox News on Sept. 4

(Reuters) -Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump proposed to debate Democratic U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris on Fox News on Sept. 4, though the Harris campaign did not confirm the event.

The rules will be similar to the first debate with President Joe Biden, who has since dropped his reelection bid, Trump said in a post on Truth Social late on Friday. But this time it would have a “full arena audience” and take place in the battleground state of Pennsylvania, Trump said.

Harris’s campaign said it did not have a comment. Fox News did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Trump and Biden had agreed to a second debate on Sept. 10 on ABC news that the former president had suggested should be moved to Fox.

Trump’s proposal for the debate on Fox came right after the Democratic National Committee launched an advertising campaign on Friday taunting him by saying “the convicted felon is afraid to debate” and questioning whether that is due to his stance on abortion.

After Biden dropped out of the race on July 21 and backed Harris, Trump said he would not debate her because she was not the official candidate.

On Friday, Harris secured the delegate votes needed to clinch the Democratic nomination.

Harris had responded last month that she was “ready” after Fox News proposed the presidential debate between the two candidates on Sept. 17.

Trump’s post was removed for a few minutes before being reposted, with Trump deleting his proposal for a “major” town hall gathering on the same date if Harris was “unwilling or unable to debate”.