FOX News Media extended an invitation to both the campaigns of Donald Trump and Kamala Harris, suggesting a debate in Pennsylvania on September 17.
“With Vice President Kamala Harris emerging as the likely Democratic nominee, we are updating our debate proposal for this election cycle. We would like to facilitate a Presidential Debate between VP Harris and Mr. Trump,” stated the letters penned by Jay Wallace, President and Executive Editor of FOX News Media, and Jessica Loker, FOX News Vice President of Politics, which they sent to the respective campaigns.
They suggested Pennsylvania as the venue for a Tuesday debate, coinciding with the start of early voting in major battleground states. Wallace and Loker expressed openness to discussing the specifics of the debate, including the date, format, and whether it should have a live audience. They recommended Bret Baier and Martha MacCallum, notable figures in their political reporting, as moderators.
The letter also highlighted previous engagements with Democratic candidates on Fox News, asserting the channel’s appeal to critical voter demographics, including independents in swing states. Wallace and Loker emphasized FOX News Media’s commitment to fostering meaningful political discourse during this crucial time and invited all relevant parties to discuss the proposal.
The campaigns of Harris and Trump had not commented on the proposal at the time of the report. Last month saw Trump debate President Biden on CNN, a performance by Biden that led to widespread calls for him to withdraw from the 2024 race, which he subsequently did, endorsing Harris. Trump expressed willingness to debate Harris multiple times in the lead-up to the 2024 presidential election, emphasizing the importance of the debates. Despite showing openness, he clarified that he hadn’t committed to any specific debates beyond one with Biden.
This invitation comes after the first debate, moderated by CNN in June. ABC News was scheduled to host an upcoming debate between Biden and Trump in September. However, Trump had suggested moving the next debate to Fox News now that Harris is expected to lead the Democratic ticket.
After securing the necessary delegate commitments for the Democratic nomination, Harris’s campaign announced her victory. Meanwhile, Trump and his campaign had previously agreed to two debates on Fox News, marking a continued engagement with the network for this election cycle.
