Topline
Former President Donald Trump agreed Thursday to debate Vice President Kamala Harris on ABC News next month, ending weeks of back and forth after Trump reversed course on the debate schedule he agreed to with President Joe Biden.
Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump speaks during a press conference at … [+]
Key Facts
Trump told reporters Thursday he would debate Harris on Sept. 10 on ABC News, which was initially scheduled to hold the second debate between Trump and Biden on that date.
Trump made the commitment after repeatedly waffling over the debates with Harris—he said last week the debate agreement he set with Biden had been “terminated,” instead pushing for Fox News to host the debate, but then backtracked on Wednesday, telling Fox & Friends he would debate Harris in the “pretty near future.”
The Harris campaign accused Trump of being “scared” to debate her and said she would show up to the debate with or without Trump there.
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Where Will The Debate Be? Who Will Anchor The Debate? Will There Be A Live Audience This Time?
Biden and Trump agreed in May to a set of rules for both the CNN debate and the Sept. 10 ABC News debate, including no live studio audience, muted microphones when the candidates aren’t speaking and hosts selected from the networks’ regular personnel. It’s unclear whether these rules will carry over.
Did Harris And Trump Agree To Any More Debates?
Trump said Thursday he also agreed to a Sept. 4 debate on Fox News and that the ABC debate would be Sept. 25. His campaign quickly clarified the ABC debate would be Sept.10 and NBC News would host the Sept. 25 debate, though Harris has only agreed to the Sept. 10 debate so far. An NBC spokesperson also indicated the date Trump floated was not official, according to CBS News, which reported the spokesperson said the network has had conversations with both campaigns about a range of dates.
What Was Harris’ Response To The Commitment From Trump?
“Well, I’m glad that he finally agreed to a debate on Sept. 10. I’m looking forward to it and I hope he shows up,” Harris told reporters Thursday, adding that she is open to scheduling an additional debate.
Will There Be A Vice Presidential Debate?
Trump said Thursday CBS News would host a vice presidential debate between Vance and Walz. Harris, when running alongside Biden, had previously agreed to debate Trump’s yet-to-be-announced running mate on CBS, though a Vance-Walz debate has not been announced. Both Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, Harris’ running mate, and GOP vice presidential candidate Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, have said they want to debate each other, but Vance has said he wants to do so after Democrats officially nominate Walz, which they’re expected to do at their convention in Chicago Aug. 19-22.
Key Background
Trump’s June 27 debate with President Joe Biden marked a seismic shift in the election that ultimately ended with Biden abandoning his re-election bid less than a month later and endorsing Harris as his replacement. Harris has made inroads on Trump’s polling lead over Biden in the weeks since announcing her candidacy, and now leads by a narrow margin in most polling averages. Much of the focus in the election during the past two weeks has centered around the candidates’ choices for running mates. Trump announced Ohio Sen. JD Vance as his pick for vice president just before the Republican National Convention began on July 18, while Harris announced Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her running mate on Tuesday.
Further Reading
Trump Reverses Course: Offers 3 Debates With Harris—Including ABC Debate He Called Off (Forbes)
Trump Pledges He’ll Debate Harris In ‘Pretty Near Future’—After Backing Out Of ABC Debate (Forbes)
Trump Backs Out Of Debate And Proposes Another On Fox News—Harris Claims He’s ‘Running Scared’ (Forbes)
2022 midterms, 2024 presidential campaign, the January 6 House committee investigation, former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s historic ouster, the 2023 State of the Union Address, former President Donald Trump’s federal election interference and classified documents cases and his Manhattan hush money case. Dorn graduated in 2012 from the University of Dayton with a degree in journalism. Prior to joining Forbes, she covered New York City and state politics for the New York Post and City and State magazine. Follow her for updates and analysis on the 2024 presidential race, key Senate and House races and developments in Congress and at the White House.
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