A public dispute has erupted between former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris over the terms of their upcoming presidential debate. On August 3, Trump announced on his Truth Social platform that he had agreed to debate Harris on Fox News on September 4 in Pennsylvania, with a ‘full arena audience’. Trump stated, ‘The rules will be similar to the rules of my debate with Joe Sleepy, which was treated horribly by his party, but with a full audience’.However, Harris’s campaign quickly rejected this proposal, insisting on adhering to the originally scheduled debate on ABC on September 10. Michael Tyler, communications director for Harris’s campaign, stated, ‘Donald Trump is scared and trying to avoid a debate he agreed to by seeking refuge in Fox. He needs to stop playing and show up to the debate he committed to on September 10’.The Harris campaign accused Trump of ‘running scared’ and trying to back out of the previously agreed-upon ABC debate. Vice President Harris herself commented on the situation, saying, ‘It’s interesting how ‘any time, any place’ becomes ‘one specific time, one specific safe space”. She added, ‘I’ll be there on Sept. 10, like he agreed to. I hope to see him there’.This debate controversy comes in the wake of Harris securing the Democratic Party’s nomination after President Joe Biden’s unexpected withdrawal from the race. Recent polls show a tight contest between Harris and Trump, adding to the significance of this potential debate.As it stands, the likelihood of a debate between the candidates seems less certain. The Harris campaign has expressed openness to discussing further debates, but only after the September 10 event that both campaigns had initially agreed to.
Key points
- Trump proposed a debate with Harris on Fox News on September 4 in Pennsylvania.
- Harris’s campaign rejected Trump’s proposal, insisting on the original ABC debate on September 10.
- Both campaigns accuse each other of being ‘scared’ and trying to avoid the debate.
- The dispute occurs as Harris secures the Democratic nomination following Biden’s withdrawal.
Contradictions👾Trump claims the ABC debate ‘has been terminated’ due to his litigation with ABC, while Harris’s campaign insists the September 10 ABC debate is still on.
