Republican vice-presidential candidate JD Vance announced Thursday that he will participate in a debate with Democratic nominee Tim Walz on October 1, hosted by CBS News. Vance also challenged Walz to an additional debate on September 18, hosted by CNN.
“The American people deserve as many debates as possible, which is why President Trump has already challenged Kamala Harris to three debates,” Vance, a U.S. Senator from Ohio, said in a social media post. “I accept both the CBS debate on October 1 and the CNN debate on September 18. I look forward to seeing you at both!”
Walz, the Minnesota governor and running mate to Vice President Kamala Harris, had previously confirmed his participation in the October 1 debate. It remains unclear whether Walz will agree to the September 18 debate, as the Harris campaign has not yet responded to inquiries.
CNN confirmed that they had invited both Vance and Walz to the debate on September 18. “We are in regular communication with the campaigns about opportunities for the American public to hear from the candidates,” a CNN spokesperson said.
If Walz agrees to the September 18 debate, it could shift focus away from Donald Trump, who is set to be sentenced that day in his criminal hush money case in New York.
In related news, Trump and Harris have agreed to a presidential debate on September 10, hosted by ABC News. Trump has also pushed for additional debates on September 4 with Fox News and September 25 with NBC News.
