On Thursday, Vice President Kamala Harris expressed her readiness to confront Donald Trump in a debate scheduled for September, criticizing the former president for seemingly withdrawing from an earlier commitment to engage with the Democratic contender.
Harris, speaking to the media at Joint Base Andrews following her arrival on Air Force Two, highlighted her anticipation for the debate, mentioning, “I’ll tell you I’m ready to debate Donald Trump.”
“I have consented to the debate set for September 10, which he had previously agreed to. Now, it seems he’s reversing his decision, but I stand prepared. The voters deserve the opportunity to witness the distinct choices in this election through a debate, and so I’m eager to proceed,” she stated.
According to the Trump campaign, he had confirmed his participation in two presidential debates for the general election this year following discussions with then-candidate Joe Biden’s campaign. The first debate, broadcasted by CNN on June 27, was notably unsuccessful for Biden, leading to his withdrawal from the presidential race on the following Sunday.
The upcoming debate, planned for September 10 and to be aired on ABC, was under reconsideration by Trump earlier this week. In a conference call with reporters, he expressed his willingness to debate Harris while indicating his preference for a different host, preferably a more supportive broadcaster like Fox News, for the event.
Despite Trump’s hesitancy to commit, his campaign advisor, Jason Miller, assured that a debate between Trump and Harris “will happen.” However, Miller mentioned the campaign’s ambivalence towards fulfilling the September 10 agreement with ABC.
Miller advocated for “multiple debates” between Harris and Trump, stating, “Not only will there be another debate, but there should be multiple debates. We believe the debates should be hosted by a variety of outlets, but limiting it to just one debate against Kamala Harris in the general election would deprive the public.”
