For weeks, the two mainstream candidates running for President of the United States stood on opposite ends of whether there would be a second televised debate after September.
On one end, former President Donald Trump said he welcomed the opportunity to appear at multiple debates beyond one scheduled to take place on ABC News, which came and went this week. On the other end, Vice President Kamala Harris said she would consider participating in a debate if Trump bothered to show up to the ABC News one, but campaign officials refused to confirm her appearance at any other debate beyond that one.
Now, things have changed, with Harris telling supporters she believes there should be more debates, and Trump refusing to participate in anymore.
At a campaign rally on Thursday, Trump proclaimed himself to be the winner of Tuesday evening’s debate, though he and his supporters have taken issue with the way the ABC News moderators fact-checked his absurd and false claims of immigrants eating pets and doctors performing post-birth abortions.
Trump says there is no need for him to further debate Harris because “every poll has us winning” the ABC News debate, a statement that belies the truth but will no doubt be accepted as fact among his most-ardent supporters.
Harris, on the other hand, is willing to participate in more debates: She told supporters at a competing rally in North Carolina on Thursday that the candidates “owe it to the voters to have another debate.”
Fox News Media is hoping the debate happens on their channels. Two months ago, Fox News executives sent letters to the Trump and Harris campaign, extending an invitation to host a debate in Pennsylvania this month. That offer is still on the table, the executives said this week in a new letter sent to both campaigns that also suggested three days in October.
Any debate without Trump would essentially be a town hall forum with Harris, if she affirms her commitment and carries through with her appearance. It was not immediately clear if Fox News would move forward with a town hall-style interview with Harris should Trump decline to appear at a debate; officials at Fox News Media have not yet returned an after-hours request from The Desk seeking comment on the matter.
