Trump, Harris spar over date, network of presidential debate
By Timothy Gardner and Surbhi Misra
(Reuters) -Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump proposed to debate Democratic U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris on Fox News on Sept. 4, and the Harris campaign responded saying Trump is trying to back out of a debate that had been set to run on ABC.
The rules would 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.
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.
Harris, who on Friday secured the delegate votes needed to clinch the Democratic nomination, said on Saturday that she plans to attend the originally planned 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 Sept. 10, like he agreed to. I hope to see him there.”
Harris spokesperson Michael Tyler said Trump is “running scared” and that her campaign is happy to discuss further debates after the Sept. 10 one that “both campaigns have already agreed to.”
Trump said on social media that the ABC debate “has been terminated in that Biden will no longer be a participant” and because he is in litigation with ABC.
The Trump campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment about the Harris campaign’s remarks.
Recent polls show a tight contest between Harris and Trump, who had enjoyed a bigger lead over Biden after the first debate.
ABC News could not confirm any details on whether Harris could appear solo if Trump did not join, a spokesperson said.
Fox News did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
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.
David Plouffe, an adviser to former President Barack Obama who recently joined the Harris campaign, said 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.”
Trump is 78 and Harris, 59.
