ABC News reported that Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump and Democratic counterpart Kamala Harris have both agreed to participate in a debate scheduled for September 10. This announcement followed Trump’s statement at a news conference where he confirmed his commitment to three debates with Harris in September across different networks. The Harris campaign did not immediately comment on the scheduled debate.
Trump’s decision to rejoin the ABC debate comes after previously announcing on social media that he would not appear on the network due to a lawsuit he filed. Trump emphasized the significance of debates, stating, “I look forward to the debates because I think we have to set the record straight.”
At a private fundraiser in Paris, Doug Emhoff, Harris’ husband, expressed his excitement about seeing his wife debate Trump. Emhoff was in Paris leading the U.S. delegation to the Summer Olympics closing ceremony.
Fox News has proposed a debate between Harris and Trump on September 4, while NBC News is aiming to air a debate on September 25. Additionally, Trump mentioned his desire for his vice presidential candidate, JD Vance, to debate Harris’ running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, on CBS. Discussions are underway to determine potential dates for this debate.
ABC announced that David Muir and Linsey Davis will moderate the September 10 debate, coinciding with the date Trump and Biden had scheduled their second and final debate before Biden withdrew from the race. As polls indicate a close competition between the former president and current vice president, any debate is expected to carry significant weight.
Criticism from Republicans has emerged regarding Harris’ lack of media appearances. Vance highlighted this issue in a post on X during Trump’s news conference, accusing Harris of avoiding answering real questions from the media and relying on a TelePrompter.