Trump Backs Out, Proposes New Debate Plan

Former President Donald Trump announced he will not participate in the ABC News debate on September 10. Instead, he suggested debating Vice President Kamala Harris on Fox News six days earlier. Trump shared this news on his social media platform, Truth Social, which sparked controversy and objections from the Harris campaign.

***_{Former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris. (AP file photos.)AP Photos}***

The Harris campaign accused Trump of trying to distract from his original commitment to the ABC debate. They highlighted that Trump had agreed to the ABC debate in May, before President Joe Biden dropped out after a poor performance in a CNN debate on June 27. Michael Tyler, Harris’s communications director, criticized Trump for avoiding the original debate and urged him to stick to his commitment.

Trump’s campaign and representatives from Fox News and ABC News have not commented on the situation. Trump’s decision comes amidst his ongoing defamation lawsuit against ABC News. He expressed a preference for debating on Fox News, criticizing ABC and its journalists.

Trump’s proposal for Fox News includes a live audience, unlike the previous debate with Biden, which was held without an audience due to COVID-19 precautions. The Fox News debate is scheduled for September 4 in Pennsylvania, moderated by Bret Baier and Martha MacCallum, with rules similar to the previous debate, including microphone muting to prevent interruptions.

Despite Harris’s readiness to debate on the original date, it remains uncertain if the ABC News debate will proceed as planned. Trump’s actions highlight his desire to change the debate conditions to his advantage