Trump says he’s agreed to Fox debate while Harris sticks with ABC plan

Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump says he has agreed to an offer from Fox News to hold a debate with presumptive Democratic nominee Vice President Kamala Harris. Meanwhile, the Harris campaign says it will stick to the original plan for an ABC News debate. 

In the post, former President Trump said the purported Fox News debate would be on Sept. 4.

“I have agreed with FoxNews to debate Kamala Harris on Wednesday, September 4th. The Debate was previously scheduled against Sleepy Joe Biden on ABC, but has been terminated in that Biden will no longer be a participant, and I am in litigation against ABC Network and George Slopadopoulos, thereby creating a conflict of interest,” he said.

In his post, Trump said the debate would be held in Pennsylvania, “at a site in an area to be determined.”

“The Moderators of the Debate will be Bret Baier and Martha MacCallum, and the Rules will be similar to the Rules of my Debate with Sleepy Joe, who has been treated horribly by his Party – BUT WITH A FULL ARENA AUDIENCE!” Trump said.

Harris’ campaign said on Saturday that “Donald Trump is running scared” hoping that Fox News will “bail him out” of the debate he had already agreed to with ABC News.

“He needs to stop playing games and show up to the debate he already committed to on Sept. 10,” Michael Tyler, the Harris campaign communication director, told CBS News in a statement. “The Vice President will be there one way or the other to take the opportunity to speak to a prime time national audience.”

Tyler said the campaign is open to discussing further debates but only after the one both campaigns have already agreed to takes place.

“Mr. Anytime, anywhere, anyplace should have no problem with that unless he’s too scared to show up on the 10th,” Tyler added.

In a separate statement on X, formerly Twitter, Harris said: “It’s interesting how ‘any time, any place’ becomes ‘one specific time, one specific safe space.’ I’ll be there on September 10th, like he agreed to. I hope to see him there.” 

CBS News has reached out to Fox News for comment.

Trump and President Biden, when he was still in the race for the White House, agreed in May to participate in two presidential debates. The first was in June and hosted by CNN, and the second was scheduled for Sept. 10 which would be hosted by ABC News.

Last month, Harris accused Trump of walking back his previous agreement to the Sept. 10 presidential debate, telling reporters, “I’m ready.”

Mr. Biden’s poor performance during the first debate sparked calls for him to end his reelection bid, and he announced he would be forgoing his campaign for a second term. After Mr. Biden’s exit from the race, Harris announced her candidacy and has since received the backing of a majority of delegates needed to secure the Democratic nomination. The Democratic National Convention will be held Aug. 19-22 in Chicago.

On Friday, a majority of Democratic delegates voted to select Harris as the party’s nominee for president in a virtual roll call vote, her campaign and the Democratic Party said, cementing her status at the top of the ticket heading into November.

CBS News has extended invitations to the Harris and Trump campaigns inviting the candidates to participate in vice presidential and presidential debates in early September.