- Harris' campaign team to TV debate: Trump to stop playing games
Kamala Harris' campaign team has urged former President Donald Trump to stop "playing games" in the debate discussion. "Donald Trump is scared and trying to wriggle out of the debate he has already agreed to, and he's running straight to Fox News for help," said Michael Tyler, communications director for the Harris campaign, on Saturday (local time). Trump wants to face Harris in a debate on Fox News on September 4 instead of the originally planned debate on ABC on September 10, as he announced on his Truth Social platform.
Harris' campaign criticizes Trump
In his post, Trump stated that the debate would take place in the US state of Pennsylvania and be moderated by Bret Baier and Martha MacCallum, with an audience present. Fox News, a longstanding supporter of Trump, confirmed that the debate would be held with an audience and follow similar rules to the first debate between Trump and US President Joe Biden on June 27 on CNN. In that debate, the candidates were only given a pen, a notepad, and a bottle of water, and only the microphone of the speaker was turned on while the other's was muted.
However, the statement from Harris' campaign director said that Trump must "stop playing games and show up for the debate he has already committed to on September 10."
Before Biden's withdrawal from the campaign, a second television duel with Trump on ABC was scheduled for September 10, with expectations that this debate would take place with Harris instead of Biden.
At a campaign event in Atlanta on Saturday, Trump reiterated his announced date. He said he had "agreed" to the plan with Fox News, stating in the same arena where Harris had spoken to 10,000 supporters on Tuesday, "We're doing it with Fox, if she shows up." However, he expressed doubt that Harris would appear, saying, "She can't talk."
Just recently, Trump had stated that he would not have a TV debate with Harris. Harris then challenged the 78-year-old former president, saying that if he had something to say, he should say it "to her face" at her campaign event in Atlanta.
President Biden's appearance at the CNN TV debate at the end of June was disastrous. He spoke with a hoarse voice, repeatedly tangled his words, and failed to complete sentences. The subsequent discussion about his performance and doubts about his mental and physical fitness ultimately led to the 81-year-old's decision not to run again for the White House. Afterward, Biden endorsed Harris as the new Democratic candidate.
While Harris is not yet officially confirmed as the Democratic candidate for the election on November 5, her party has already announced that she has secured enough votes for her official nomination in the ongoing electronic vote of US Democrats.
Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, aged 99, has also pledged his support for Harris in the November election. "I'm trying to hold on to vote for Kamala Harris," the Democrat told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution on Saturday, according to a report. His son, Chip Carter, had recently asked him if he hoped to celebrate his 100th birthday on October 1st. The 99-year-old replied that he wanted to live long enough to vote for the likely Democratic candidate, his grandson Jason Carter told the Georgia-based newspaper. According to the newspaper, early voting for the successor to Democratic U.S. President Joe Biden begins on October 15th in the state.
Michael Tyler, communications director for the Harris campaign, emphasized that Trump should "stop playing games" and honor his commitment to the September 10 debate on ABC. despairing of Trump's attempts to shift the debate to Fox News on September 4, Tyler lamented, "Michael Tyler, you know, has seen the former president trying to wriggle out of his agreed-upon debate."
