Kamala Harris Declines Donald Trump’s Proposal to Change Presidential Debate Time

Washington:

Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris has turned down her Republican opponent Donald Trump’s proposal to move the presidential debate to the Fox News channel, as per media reports on Sunday.

Trump, 78, and President Joe Biden — who was then competing for the White House — agreed in May to participate in two presidential debates. The first one took place in June, hosted by CNN, and the second one – to be hosted by ABC News – was set for September 10.

Biden exited the race last month, after which Vice President Harris, who has Indian and African descent, was announced as the 2024 presidential nominee of the governing Democratic Party after securing enough votes from Democratic delegates in a virtual roll call.

On Saturday, Trump announced that he has accepted an offer from Fox News to have a debate with Vice President Harris on September 4, shifting from the original plan, as reported by CBS News.

“I have agreed with FoxNews to debate Kamala Harris on Wednesday, September 4th. 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,” he said.

Meanwhile, Harris took to X to decline Trump’s debate proposal on Fox News.

“It’s interesting how “any time, any place” becomes “one specific time, one specific safe space.” I’ll be there on September 10th, like he agreed to. I hope to see him there,” Harris said.

The Harris campaign also stated that it will stick to the original plan for an ABC News debate.

It mentioned that “Donald Trump is running scared” hoping that Fox News will “bail him out” of the debate he had already agreed to with ABC News, according to the report.

“He needs to stop playing games and show up to the debate he already committed to on Sept. 10,” the report quoted Michael Tyler, the Harris campaign communication director, as saying.

“The Vice President will be there one way or the other to take the opportunity to speak to a prime-time national audience,” Tyler said, adding that the campaign is open to discussing further debates but only after the one both campaigns have already agreed to takes place.

Last month, Harris challenged Trump to a debate, provoking him to say whatever he had “to say to her face”.

Harris will face Trump in the general elections on November 5.