Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris and Republican nominee Donald Trump have agreed to one televised debate — with the possibilty of two more.
ABC News says that both Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump and his Democratic counterpart, Kamala Harris, have agreed to meet in a debate on Sept. 10.
The network’s announcement on Thursday came shortly after Trump told a news conference that he had agreed to three debates with Harris in September on separate networks.
Trump is rejoining the ABC debate days after posting on his social media network that he would not appear on the network, citing a lawsuit he has filed.
His decision sets up a highly anticipated moment in an election where the first debate led to a massive change in the race — with Democratic President Joe Biden ending his re-election bid and endorsing Harris. ABC says that David Muir and Linsey Davis will moderate the Sept. 10 contest.
That’s the same date that Trump and Biden had agreed to their second and final debate, before Biden’s decision put that event in doubt. “I think it’s very important to have debates,” Trump said Thursday.
“I look forward to the debates because I think we have to set the record straight.” On the social media site X later on Thursday, Harris wrote that “I hear that Donald Trump has fully committed to debating me on September 10.
I look forward to it.” At a private fundraiser in Paris on Thursday, Harris’ husband, Doug Emhoff, said he “cannot wait” to see his wife debate Trump. He was in Paris as head of the United States delegation to the Summer Olympics closing ceremony.
Debates on Fox, NBC?
Fox News has also proposed a debate between Harris and Trump to take place on Sept. 4, and NBC News is angling to air one on Sept. 25.
During an appearance in Michigan, Harris said she was “happy to have that conversation” about an additional debate. Any debate promises to take on extra importance with polls showing a tight race between the former president and current vice president.
While Harris has ridden a wave of excitement among Democrats since inheriting the mantle from Biden, she has yet to appear at a news conference or give an interview to a journalist. Republicans are already making that an issue.
Vance, in a post on X as Trump was in his news conference Thursday, said Harris was hiding behind a teleprompter. “It’s been 18 days since she answered real questions from the media,” he wrote.
Trump held a lengthy news conference Thursday, addressing reporters at his Palm Beach, Florida, estate. In taking questions from reporters for more than an hour, Trump tried to draw a contrast with Harris.
Trump’s decision to go on ABC sets up a high-stakes moment in an election where Biden’s catastrophic performance in the last debate set in motion his withdrawal.
A few hours after the news conference, Harris told reporters she was “glad he has finally committed” to debate her on ABC on Sept. 10, the date that had originally been set for a Biden faceoff against Trump and which her campaign has long stuck to. “I’m looking forward to it and hope he shows up,” she said.
Thursday’s event was Trump’s first public appearance since Harris selected Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her running mate. Trump called Walz a “radical left man.” “Between her and him, there’s never been anything like this,” Trump said.
“There’s certainly never been anybody so liberal like these two.” He repeatedly suggested Harris was not intelligent enough to debate him. Harris, for her part, has tried to goad Trump into debating and told an audience in Atlanta recently that if he had anything to say about her, he should “say it to my face.”
Trump grew visibly perturbed when pressed on Harris’ crowds and newfound Democratic enthusiasm, dismissing a question about his lighter campaign schedule as “stupid.”
Campaign not ‘recalibrated’
Trump says he has not “recalibrated” his campaign despite facing a new opponent, a dynamic some Republican strategists have quietly complained about. When asked what assets Harris possessed, Trump said: “She’s a woman. She represents certain groups of people.”
Trump recognized some changing patterns with his new opponent, acknowledging he may not be as popular with Black women, one of the Democrats’ key voting blocs. He expressed a lot of confidence in his support from Black men.
“It could be I’ll be affected somewhat with Black females but we’re really doing well,” he said. “And I think ultimately they’ll like me better because I’m going to give them security, safety and jobs. I’m going to give them a good economy.”
Trump campaign officials told reporters ahead of the news conference they believe Harris is currently enjoying a honeymoon period. They argued the fundamentals of the race have not changed and the mood of the country remains sour, with Americans frustrated by the state of the economy, the administration and the country’s directions.
They say that while Harris has energized the Democratic base, she will not be able to win over Republicans or convert independents or the persuadable voters they are focused on targeting.
Trump also said he wants his vice presidential candidate, Vance, to debate Harris’ choice for vice president, Walz, on CBS. The network is discussing potential dates to propose for that meeting