If Harris Declines, 2 Proposed Debates Will Become Trump Town Halls

(Left) Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris waits to speak at a campaign rally at United Auto Workers Local 900 in Wayne, Mich., on Aug. 8, 2024. (Right) Republican Presidential nominee former President Donald Trump arrives to speak during a rally at Herb Brooks National Hockey Center in St Cloud, Minn., on July 27, 2024. (Andrew Harnik, Stephen Maturen/Getty Images)

A pair of proposed presidential debates could instead morph into town hall meetings for former President Donald Trump, his campaign confirmed with The Epoch Times on Aug. 11.

The Republican presidential nominee and his Democrat opponent, Vice President Kamala Harris, have both agreed to participate in a Sept. 10 debate on ABC News. This comes despite the former president’s concerns over a conflict of interest with the network, which faces a lawsuit in which Trump alleges the network defamed him.

He is now waiting for Harris to accept two additional proposed debates—Sept. 4 on Fox News and Sept. 25 on NBC News.

If she rejects those proposals, which Trump made during an Aug. 9 news conference, Trump will appear solo on those national TV networks, a Trump campaign adviser said.

The Epoch Times has sought comment from the Harris campaign.

Trump remained optimistic that she would accept his proposal. “I look forward to seeing Kamala at all three Debates!” he said in an Aug. 11 post on his Truth Social platform.

He also released additional details about moderators and locations of the proposed debates.

The Sept. 4 Fox News debate or town hall would be aired live from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.

On Sept. 10, David Muir, anchor of “ABC World News Tonight,” will serve as moderator for a confirmed showdown at Philadelphia’s Independence Hall.

On Sept. 25, NBC’s Lester Holt would moderate the proposed faceoff in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

The confirmed and proposed locations are notable because they are in two battleground states.

The network did not immediately respond to The Epoch Times’ request for comment.

The debates are highly anticipated given the extraordinary turn of events this election cycle.

On June 27, Trump and President Joe Biden locked horns in a debate that CNN conducted in Atlanta. Biden struggled through the contest, touching off calls for him to exit the race.

On July 13, Trump survived an assassination attempt that killed a bystander and wounded three people, including him, at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. A Secret Service sniper killed the suspected gunman, who was perched on a rooftop with a rifle. The investigation continues amid widespread criticism of security failures at the event.

Then on July 21, Biden quit the race but said he will continue to serve the remainder of his presidential term.

Biden endorsed Harris as his successor. Polls are indicating that she is outperforming Biden as a Democrat presidential contender and has gained a slight edge over Trump. The RealClear Politics average of opinion polls is showing Harris ahead of Trump by 0.5 percent. She is expected to receive another boost in the polls after the Democratic National Convention, which is set for Aug. 19–22 in Chicago.

Some independent voters who spoke to The Epoch Times said they like Harris partly because the 59-year-old is younger than Trump, 78. Others, however, expressed concern over what she has accomplished as vice president. They also say she hasn’t made her policy positions clear.

The Trump campaign has criticized Harris for not granting media interviews. He and his running mate, Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio), gave press conferences last week and highlighted the differences between their campaign and that of Harris.

Russ Jones contributed to this story.