Janice R. Andrews
Ahead of the election in November, there was a major development when former President Donald Trump declared he would not be taking part in the September ABC debate with Vice President Kamala Harris. Rather, Trump suggests a debate on Fox News, casting doubt on whether the contenders would appear together on a platform prior to the election.
Trump announced his decision to withdraw from the ABC debate scheduled on September 10 on Truth Social late on Friday. He explained this choice by pointing to President Joe Biden’s recent withdrawal from the contest after a disappointing showing in their first debate. “My agreement to a Sept. 10 debate on ABC has been terminated,” said Trump.
Trump offered a substitute: a discussion on Fox News in Pennsylvania on September 4. He mentioned that the guidelines would be similar to those from his first debate with Biden, but there would be one big difference: instead of the nearly empty studio from before, there would be a packed crowd. Trump went on to say that he would host a “major Town Hall” on Fox News in the event if Harris, the presumed Democratic nominee, rejected the new idea.
“Trump is running scared and trying to back out of the debate he already agreed to, running straight to Fox News to bail him out,” said Harris’s spokesperson, Michael Tyler, in response to Trump’s action. Tyler underlined Harris’s dedication to the September 10 slot, saying she would take advantage of the chance to speak to a national audience even if Trump chose not to attend.
Trump restated his position on Saturday afternoon in another post on Truth Social, saying, “I’ll see her on September 4th or, I won’t see her at all.” This illustrates Trump’s erratic attitude toward challenging Harris in debates since she joined the presidential contest. In a recent interview with Fox News, he stated that although he had previously stated that he thought Americans should debate, they “already know everything” about both candidates. For her part, Harris has been pressuring Trump to keep his original debate pledge, even going so far as to “say it to my face” in reference to his attacks.
In addition, Trump cited his ongoing legal battle with ABC News as a “conflict of interest” for taking part in their discussion. The litigation was sparked by remarks made in March by ABC anchor George Stephanopoulos, who claimed that Trump had been declared “liable for rape.” A New York jury rejected the rape allegation against Trump but found him guilty of assaulting writer E. Jean Carroll sexually.
In spite of the lawsuit, Trump had consented to the CNN and ABC debates on June 27 and September 10, respectively, which contributed to Biden’s withdrawal from the race. The discussion was supposed to be moderated by David Muir and Linsey Davis on ABC, not Stephanopoulos.
Trump has missed debates before. This is hardly the first instance. Notably, he skipped every Republican presidential primary debate in 2024. Given the current state of affairs, it is still unclear if the planned debates will take place, which might lead to an unpredictable campaign season.
