WASHINGTON - Republican Donald Trump and Democrat Kamala Harris are both set for a showdown in the November presidential election, but they're clashing over when—or if—they’ll debate beforehand.
Late Friday, Trump announced via social media that he had agreed to a debate with Harris on September 4, hosted by Fox News. However, within hours, Harris' campaign responded, dismissing the claim and accusing Trump of avoiding a real confrontation.
If Trump's proposed Fox debate does take place, it would mark the first in-person face-off between the former president and his new 2024 opponent since the dramatic shake-up in the Democratic ticket, where 81-year-old President Joe Biden withdrew from the race.
Trump's Truth Social post, made at 11:48 p.m. EST, outlined plans for a debate in Pennsylvania, moderated by Fox News anchors Bret Baier and Martha MacCallum. He mentioned that the debate format would be similar to his June 27 encounter with Biden but with a live audience instead of a nearly empty studio.
The future of presidential debates has been uncertain for weeks, especially with the question of Biden's participation. Trump's post also mentioned that a second debate, previously agreed to with Biden and scheduled for September 10 on ABC News, had been "terminated" after Biden ended his campaign.
On Saturday morning, Michael Tyler, Harris' campaign communications director, accused Trump of "running scared" and attempting to avoid the debate he had already committed to. Tyler emphasized that Harris would be ready for the September 10 debate, whether Trump shows up or not, and challenged Trump to stick to his commitments.
Tyler also mentioned that Harris' campaign is open to discussing additional debates, suggesting Trump shouldn't shy away from further face-to-face meetings.
Fox News had previously invited both candidates to a September debate but has yet to confirm the specifics Trump outlined. A Fox spokesperson did not immediately provide further details.
In late June, Trump announced his withdrawal from the ABC News debate due to uncertainty over his Democratic opponent. Earlier this week, during a rally in Atlanta, Harris challenged Trump directly, saying, “I do hope you’ll reconsider and meet me on the debate stage, because, as the saying goes, if you’ve got something to say, say it to my face!”
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