Trump Advisers Reconsider Second Debate with Harris After Biden Exit

Advisers to former President Donald Trump are reconsidering their commitment to a second debate with the Democratic candidate, which they had initially agreed to, due to a change in the Democratic nominee from President Joe Biden to Vice President Kamala Harris.

Trump and Biden had initially agreed to two debates, the first of which took place on June 27. Biden’s poor performance in that debate led to mounting pressure for him to exit the race, which he eventually did.

The second debate, scheduled for September 10 and hosted by ABC News, was still expected to take place as planned. However, Biden’s withdrawal from the race and the swift consolidation of support within the Democratic Party around Harris has complicated the arrangements.

Harris’ campaign is currently vetting potential running mates, and most major Democratic figures, except for former President Barack Obama, have endorsed her.

Trump’s communications director, Steven Cheung, released a statement citing the “continued political chaos” within the Democratic Party as a reason for not finalizing debate details.

The statement also suggested that some Democrats, including Obama, doubt Harris’s ability to defeat Trump and might still be considering other candidates. This uncertainty, according to Cheung, makes it inappropriate to confirm debate plans with Harris as the opponent.

Despite Trump’s reluctance, Harris reaffirmed her commitment to the September 10 debate hosted by ABC News. She emphasized the importance of voters seeing the candidates on the debate stage and accused Trump of trying to avoid the debate. Her commitment came after a trip to Texas and Indiana, where she addressed the press at Joint Base Andrews.

Following Trump’s campaign statement, Harris took to social media to challenge Trump’s previous willingness to debate “any time, any place.” Trump hinted at a preference for moving the debate to Fox News, a network known for its favorable coverage of him, and Fox News proposed a debate for September 17.

Trump’s adviser Jason Miller also called for multiple debates but questioned the finality of the ABC News debate arrangement. A New York Times/Siena College survey indicated a close race between Trump and Harris, showing them nearly tied among likely voters.