Janice R. Andrews
On Thursday, Vice President Kamala Harris announced that she was “ready to debate Donald Trump,” reaffirming her participation in the debate that was originally supposed to take place on September 10 and be presented by ABC News.
Trump had already consented to that. Now that he’s reversing course, I believe the voters should be shown the split screen in this contest during a debate. I’m prepared. Thus, I’m prepared to depart,” Harris told reporters upon the arrival of Air Force Two at Joint Base Andrews.
Harris’s remarks come after Trump announced earlier this week that he would face her; nevertheless, he called ABC “a joke” and said he would rather that Fox News broadcast the discussion. Harris accused Trump of “backpedalling” in spite of his assertions that he was prepared to engage her on several occasions.
Following Harris’s comments, a Trump representative stated, “Dems must formally select their nominee before finalising details of the general election debate.”
Trump spokeswoman Steven Cheung stated in a statement, “There is a strong sense by many in the Democratic Party — namely Barack Hussein Obama — that Kamala Harris is a Marxist fraud who cannot beat President Trump, and they are still holding out for someone ‘better.” It would thus be improper to set up an appointment with Harris because Democrats may yet decide otherwise.
Trump and President Joe Biden decided to participate in two debates in May: one on June 27 on CNN and another on September 10 on ABC. Because of the profound effect that Biden’s June performance had on his candidacy, Democrats mounted a determined attempt to force him to withdraw.
Because Harris “was slightly more mainstream, but not much,” Trump has stated that he thinks Harris would be “easier” to beat than Biden.
The political environment is still fluid as the September debate draws near, with both parties preparing for what looks to be a crucial turn in the 2024 presidential contest.
