Topline
Former President Donald Trump offered Thursday to debate Vice President Kamala Harris three times on three different networks, including in a previously planned ABC debate that Trump backed out of last weekend—though it’s unclear if Harris’ team has agreed to the terms.
Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump speaks to reporters during a news … [+]
Key Facts
Trump said in a press conference he agreed to debates on Fox, NBC and ABC—with the ABC News debate taking place on its originally planned Sept. 10 date, his campaign said in a tweet (Trump initially said to reporters he wanted a Sept. 25 debate on ABC, but his campaign clarified the date to multiple news outlets).
The shift comes just days after the former president said he would not participate in an ABC debate on Sept. 10 he had agreed to when President Joe Biden was the presumptive Democratic nominee.
ABC News confirmed to multiple outlets Thursday that Trump and Harris have both agreed to attend its debate.
Trump also said CBS will host the vice presidential debate, but did not provide a date.
Forbes has reached out to the Harris campaign.
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When Are The Debates?
Trump said he agreed to a debate on Fox on Sept. 4 and his campaign said the ABC debate will be on Sept. 10 and the NBC debate will be on Sept. 25.
Key Background
Trump had been noncommittal on whether he would debate Harris since she took over the presidential run from Biden in late July. His team first said they wouldn’t agree to a debate until Harris clinched the nomination, which she did last week. Then, Trump said he would no longer participate in the ABC News debate against Harris and suggested it be moved to Fox News. Trump said he had no obligation to attend that debate against Harris because he originally agreed to face Biden, and cited his ongoing defamation suit against the network as another reason he would not participate. The Harris campaign responded to Trump dropping out of the planned debate by saying he was “running scared” and “running straight to Fox News to bail him out.”
What To Watch For
Harris’ response to the proposed debates. She has previously said she is ready to debate Trump and recently challenged the former president to make his comments about her campaign to her directly. “If you’ve got something to say, say it to my face,” Harris said at an Atlanta rally on July 31.
Further Reading
Israel and Hamas. Previously, she has covered a range of topics from Donald Trump’s legal battles to Taylor Swift’s path to becoming a billionaire. She joined Forbes in April 2022 and is based in Colorado. Prior to joining Forbes, Bohannon covered local news and spent time at the Fort Collins Coloradoan and the Arizona Republic. She graduated with a degree in journalism from Creighton University and has an MA in investigative journalism from Arizona State. Follow Bohannon for continued coverage of pop culture, politics and updates on the war in Gaza.
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