Former President Donald Trump announced Aug. 8 that he has negotiated three dates for presidential debates with networks, but it’s up to Vice President Kamala Harris to accept the terms.
Trump made the proposal at a news conference at Mar-a-Lago, Florida, for three major TV networks: ABC, NBC, and Fox News. So far, only ABC has confirmed that both candidates have agreed to a Sept. 10 debate. The Trump campaign confirmed that the other two dates proposed are Sept. 4 on Fox and Sept. 25 on NBC. (Two of the dates were switched during the former president’s news conference.)
Previously, Harris had turned down Trump’s proposal for a Sept. 4 debate on Fox, saying she wanted to adhere to an ABC debate that President Joe Biden had planned to attend on Sept. 10. Trump’s new proposal includes that date and adds the Fox and NBC proposals.
In addition, Trump said CBS had agreed to host a debate between his vice presidential pick, Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio) and Harris’ choice, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz.
The Epoch Times has sought comment from the Harris campaign.
“I look forward to the debates because we have to set the record straight,” Trump said.
Trump–Vance became the Republicans’ official ticket in mid-July at the GOP convention in Milwaukee on Aug. 2, Harris earned enough delegates via a virtual roll call to represent the Democrats on the Nov. 5 presidential election ballot.
Trump did not reveal other proposed details for the debates, such as the specific format, length, and general rules. He noted that the locations are still to be determined.
When the former president debated President Joe Biden on June 27, CNN held that showdown in an empty Atlanta studio, but Trump has called for a live audience to participate in the Fox debate.
Biden faced immense pressure to drop out of the race after he struggled through the previous debate. Biden quit his reelection campaign on June 21, eight days after Trump survived an assassination attempt. Then Biden threw his support behind Harris.
