Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democrat presidential nominee, has agreed to debate former President Donald Trump in what should be a ratings blockbuster.
Unfortunately, she would only agree to one debate after the former president proposed three, saying that she would consider doing more after the first debate.
“President Trump had a press conference today. He talked about a lot of things. Wondering if you have a reaction to what he talked about,” a reporter said to her as she prepared to board Air Force Two in Michigan.
“Well, I’m glad that he’s finally agreed to a debate on September 10th. I’m looking forward to it and hope he shows up,” the vice president said.
“Are you open to more debates?” the reporter pressed.
“I am happy to have that conversation about an additional debate for after September 10th, for sure,” the Democrat presidential nominee said.
“He proposed two more — two more debates,” the reporter said, but Harris continued to be noncommittal.
“Like I said, happy to have that conversation,” she said.
“Why do you think he pulled out of the debate with you? Why do you think he’s…” the reporter said as the vice president interrupted.
“I am beyond trying to speculate about how he thinks,” she said.
The former president has requested three debates on three networks.
“I think it’s very important to have debates, and we’ve agreed with Fox on a date of September 4. We’ve agreed with NBC. Fairly full agreement subject to them on September 10. And we’ve agreed with ABC on September 25,” the former president said during a press event.
The campaign later corrected the dates and confirmed that they are September 4 with Fox News and September 10 with ABC and September 25 with NBC.
“The other side has to agree to the terms. They may or may not agree. I don’t know if they’re going to agree. (Harris) hasn’t done an interview. She can’t do an interview. She’s barely competent, and she can’t do an interview, I look forward to the debates because I think we have to set the record straight,” he said.
Before the former president committed to the ABC debate, Harris’s campaign communications director, Michael Tyler, would also not commit to more than one debate.
“The Vice President will be there one way or the other to take the opportunity to speak to a prime-time national audience,” he said of the ABC debate. “We’re happy to discuss further debates after the one both campaigns have already agreed to.”
On Thursday when she spoke to NBC News Harris would not commit, or even talk about, more than the ABC debate.
“I am looking forward to debating Donald Trump and we have a date of September 10th. I hear he’s finally committed to it, and I’m looking forward to it,” she said.
Initially, Trump eagerly anticipated his second debate with Biden on ABC, which he readily accepted in May. But he hinted he could opt to skip it in comments earlier this month after Biden essentially passed the torch to his vice president, though she got blown out of the Democratic primaries in 2020 and Biden received all the primary votes this year.
ABC News announced that David Muir and Linsey Davis will serve as moderators for the upcoming debate.
Harris took a few questions from reporters following a Michigan campaign event on Thursday. She said her team is working out a date for her to hold a full-blown press conference, which would be her first since Biden essentially anointed her the party’s nominee.
An insider with Harris’s team stated on Thursday night that the vice president is not against having more debates, according to ABC News senior White House correspondent Selina Wang.
