US presidential candidates Donald Trump and Kamala Harris are at odds over their first head-to-head debate, with each favouring a different broadcaster and date.
The Harris campaign is advocating for a debate on ABC News on September 10, originally scheduled for a debate between President Joe Biden and Mr. Trump. However, Mr. Trump insists the ABC debate was “terminated” after Mr. Biden left the race and is instead pushing for a debate on Fox News on September 4.
The two candidates will face off in the presidential election on November 5.
The disagreement began after President Biden dropped out of the race on July 21, making Ms. Harris the frontrunner for the Democratic nomination. US TV networks have been negotiating with both campaigns to arrange new debate dates.
On Friday night, Mr. Trump announced on his social media platform Truth Social that he had accepted Fox News’ proposal for a debate on September 4 in Pennsylvania, a key battleground state. He specified that the moderators would be Fox News’ Bret Baier and Martha MacCallum, with rules similar to his previous debate with Mr. Biden.
“If for any reason Kamala is unwilling or unable to debate on that date, I have agreed with Fox to do a major Town Hall on the same September 4th evening,” Mr. Trump wrote. He added that the prior agreement was terminated because Joe Biden is no longer participating and due to his defamation case against the broadcaster, creating a conflict of interest.
The Harris campaign responded, accusing Mr. Trump of “running scared” and trying to back out of the agreed debate. They criticized him for turning to Fox News, a conservative network, to “bail him out.”
“He needs to stop playing games and show up to the debate he already committed to on September 10,” said Michael Tyler, Harris Campaign communications director. Ms. Harris echoed this sentiment on social media, pointing out that “any time, any place” had become “one specific time, one specific safe space.” She confirmed her commitment to the September 10 debate and expressed openness to discussing further debates after the agreed one takes place.
Ms. Harris secured enough pledges to become the Democratic nominee on Friday. At a campaign rally in Atlanta on Wednesday, she challenged Mr. Trump to debate her directly, saying, “if you got something to say, say it to my face.”
The debate news comes shortly after a Homeland Security Department report revealed mistakes by the US Secret Service in their response to the January 6 attack on the US Capitol. Ms. Harris, then vice-president-elect, came within 20 feet of a “viable” pipe bomb planted outside the Democratic National Committee’s headquarters in Washington. Similar bombs were found at the Republican National Committee headquarters. The perpetrators remain unknown.
