Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump said on Saturday that he would not debate Democrat Kamala Harris at all if she does not agree to appear in next month’s Fox News debate. However, the Harris campaign responded to Trump’s offer, saying the former US president is trying to avoid it because he is “scared” of the debate on ABC News, news agency Reuters reported.
On his official Truth social handle, Trump said, “I will meet him on September 4th, or I will never meet him again.”
Reiterating his offer, Trump said during a rally in Georgia: “If Fox comes on, we’ll do the same thing to them.”
“I don’t think she’ll come,” he said, claiming the Democratic candidate can “read a teleprompter” but can’t speak without thinking.
A day earlier, the Republican candidate had withdrawn from the debate organised by ABC News on September 10. In early May, the former president had confirmed his participation in the event after he and President Joe Biden agreed to expedite the debate schedule. The two leaders also exchanged sharp remarks, with each stressing their readiness to debate each other at any time and any place.
Taking a dig at Donald Trump, Kamala Harris said, “It’s interesting how ‘any time, any place’ becomes ‘a specific time, a specific safe place.'”
“I will go there on September 10 as he has agreed. I hope to see him there,” she said.
Meanwhile, Harris spokesman Michael Tyler said Trump is “scared” and expressed the campaign’s willingness to consider additional debates after the Sept. 10 event, which the two campaigns have already agreed to.
(With inputs from Reuters)
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