Vice President Kamala Harris expressed her readiness to debate Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump during a media briefing on Thursday.
Her statement followed President Joe Biden’s withdrawal from the 2024 presidential race and his subsequent endorsement of Harris as his successor. Since then, Harris has garnered support from various members of the Democratic Party.
She is poised to secure the party’s official nomination at the Democratic National Convention (DNC) in August. Should she be nominated, she will go head-to-head with former President Trump, who accepted the GOP’s nomination in July, in the upcoming presidential election.
“I’m prepared to debate Donald Trump. I have confirmed my participation in the previously agreed-upon September 10 debate,” Harris announced at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland.
Initially, Trump and Biden had agreed upon two debate dates for the 2024 presidential election: June 27 and September 10.
The June 27 debate, which took place in Atlanta and was hosted by CNN, was deemed problematic for Biden. His performance, marked by numerous stumbles and moments of confusion, raised concerns about his capability and reinvigorated calls from several Congress members for him to exit the race.
The upcoming September 10 debate, slated to be hosted by ABC News, is the only scheduled debate for now, with specifics regarding the location and format still pending.
“He [Trump] had previously agreed to this. However, it seems he is hesitating now, but I am prepared,” Harris conveyed to the press. She emphasized, “I believe voters should witness the contrasting viewpoints on the debate stage in this election.”
While Trump has agreed to debate Harris, he has expressed reservations about ABC News as the host.
During a press call convened by the Republican National Committee on Tuesday, he remarked, “I had agreed to debate with Joe Biden. However, I am open to debating her, and there won’t be much difference since they align on similar policies,” with reference to Harris.
The GOP nominee indicated, “I am willing to partake in more than one debate, actually.” Nonetheless, he expressed his dissatisfaction with ABC, stating, “I am not enthusiastic about ABC.”
In a Truth Social post on the same day that Biden exited the race, Trump criticized ABC for being “strongly biased” and proposed that the debate be held on Fox News.
The schedule for a possible vice presidential debate remains uncertain. Harris is yet to announce her running mate, whereas Trump has named Ohio Senator JD Vance as his vice presidential pick.