Donald Trump’s previous claims that it would be “inappropriate” to follow through with a debate against Kamala Harris because Democrats had not yet formally nominated a candidate in the wake of President Biden’s decision to back out of his reelection campaign no longer holds water.
On Friday, Democratic National Committee Chairman Jaime Harrison announced that Harris officially won enough support from Democratic delegates to formally secure her party’s nomination for president and, hours later, Trump posted to Truth Social that he’s agreeing to debate her on a new date — Sept. 4, rather than Sept. 10 — and on a new network — Fox News, rather than ABC — and this time, he wants it to go down in front of a “full arena audience.”
“I have agreed with Fox News to debate Kamala Harris on Wednesday, September 4th,” Trump writes in his post. “The debate was previously scheduled against Sleepy Joe Biden on ABC, but has been terminated in that Biden will no longer be a participant, and I am in litigation against ABC Network and George Slopadopoulos, thereby creating a conflict of interest. The Fox News debate will be held in the Great Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, at a site in an area to be determined. The Moderators of the debate will be Bret Baier and Martha MacCallum, and the rules will be similar to the rules of my debate with Sleepy Joe, who has been treated horribly by his party.”
As The New York Times points out, “It was unclear early Saturday whether Ms. Harris had agreed to the debate and its terms,” and neither Harris’ team nor a spokeswoman for Fox News responded to requests for comment by the outlet in the initial wake of Trump’s announcement.
Trump’s acceptance of a debate with Harris follows a Friday push from her team for him to “man up,” and an earlier call from Harris made in a now viral video clip from a recent rally, when she urged Trump to say whatever he has to say about her to her face.