Republican presidential nominee and former US President Donald Trump speaks with Republican vice presidential nominee Senator JD Vance during a campaign rally in Atlanta, Georgia, US, August 3, 2024. | Photo credit: Reuters
Donald Trump said he is withdrawing from September’s debate with Vice President Kamala Harris. ABC and wants them to be face to face Fox NewsWhich makes it less likely that the candidates will face each other on stage before the elections in November.
In a series of Truth Social posts late Friday night, the Republican nominee and former president said he agreed to a debate on September 10. ABC “His term has been terminated” because he will no longer face Democratic President Joe Biden, who ended his campaign last month After a poor performance in his first debate.
Trump has now said that he will attend the event. Fox News He described this debate to be held in Pennsylvania on September 4 as similar to his debate with Mr Biden, but it will have a full crowd instead of an empty studio. Trump said that if Ms. Harris, the presumptive Democratic nomineedoes not agree on the new network and date, he will do a “major town hall” Fox News.
Harris spokesman Michael Tyler said Trump “is panicking and trying to back out of a debate he’s already agreed to and run straight into Fox News To get him bail.”
It was not immediately clear whether ABC In Trump’s absence, Harris will turn her Sept. 10 event into a town hall. Mr. Tyler said Ms. Harris is committed to the time slot and “will take the opportunity to speak to a prime-time national audience in some way.”
“I will see her on September 4th or I will never see her again,” Trump said of Ms. Harris in a Truth Social post on Saturday afternoon.
Trump has talked about debating Ms Harris since he entered the presidential race. He has told reporters he feels obliged to debate her, but recently he also said that Fox News In the interview she said she thinks Americans “already know everything” about both candidates. Ms Harris has pressed Trump to uphold the commitment he made to Mr Biden when he was in the race. Given the criticisms he has levelled at her, Ms Harris recently challenged him to “say it to my face”.
In his Truth Social post, Trump also referenced the lawsuit against him. ABC News His participation in the network’s debates was deemed a “conflict of interest”. Trump sued the network in March after anchor George Stephanopoulos claimed Trump was “liable for rape”. A New York jury found Trump liable for sexually abusing advice columnist E. Jean Carroll but rejected his claim that he raped her.
But Trump agreed to a Sept. 10 debate, two months after the suit was filed. ABCAlso the debate on June 27 CNN Which helped push Biden out of the race. Not Stephanopoulos, David Muir and Linsey Davis are set to be chosen ABC moderator of the debate.
Trump has not attended all debates before, including the 2024 Republican presidential primary debates.