Trump proposes three debates against Harris
Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump proposed three presidential debates on three different television networks in September, after dropping a scheduled debate to be hosted by ABC News once Mr. Biden exited the presidential race.
Speaking with reporters from his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida on Thursday, Trump said his campaign has agreed to three debate dates posed by Fox News, ABC News and NBC News, although the Harris campaign has not issued a statement about the debates.
Trump said last week that the ABC News debate, originally scheduled for Sept. 10, was “terminated,” and instead said he’d debate on Fox News on Sept. 4. Vice President Kamala Harris responded that she would “be there on September 10th, like he agreed to.”
But on Thursday, Trump appeared to suggest the ABC News debate had been reinstated, since a campaign adviser said the date for the ABC News debate is Sept. 10. The Fox News date Trump mentioned was Sept. 4, although Harris hasn’t agreed to that debate. And, according to a Trump campaign adviser, the NBC News debate Trump has agreed to is Sept. 25.
“So we have those three dates and those networks, they’re very anxiously awaiting that date and those dates,” Trump said at Mar-a-Lago. “So we have Sept. 4, Sept. 10 and Sept. 25. We have spoken to the heads of the network, and it’s all been confirmed, other than some fairly minor details.”
Audience composition and location have yet to be determined, Trump said, adding that the “other side,” meaning the Harris campaign, “has to agree to the terms.”
“We think we should do three debates,” Trump said.
Trump also said CBS News would host a vice presidential debate next month, noting that his running mate, Ohio Sen. JD Vance, has “really stepped up, he’s doing a fantastic job.” The Harris campaign has agreed to the vice presidential debate.
It was the first Trump-Biden debate in late June that set into motion Mr. Biden’s ultimate departure from the race and his replacement by Harris as the Democratic presidential nominee.
This is a developing story.
contributed to this report.
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