Trump won't agree to scheduled debate until Harris becomes nominee, campaign says
Donald Trump's 2024 campaign said the former president won't agree to a scheduled debate with Vice President Kamala Harris until she becomes the Democratic nominee at the convention.
President Biden won the 2024 Democratic primary before he dropped out of the race on Sunday and endorsed Harris.
Trump said at press briefing with reporters this week that he would like to debate Harris multiple times but called ABC a fake news outlet. ABC was previously scheduled to hold a debate between Trump and Biden.
"Trump agreed on a September 10th debate. It now appears he's backpedaling," Harris wrote on her X account on Thursday. "Voters deserve to see the split screen that exists on a debate stage. I'm ready. So let's go."
Steven Cheung, the Trump campaign's communications director, said on Thursday evening that it “would be inappropriate to schedule things with Harris because Democrats very well could still change their minds.”
He also said that “there is a strong sense by many in the Democrat Party – namely Barack Hussein Obama – that Kamala Harris is a Marxist fraud who cannot beat President Trump, and they are still holding out for someone ‘better.’”
Former President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama endorsed Harris early Friday morning in a joint statement.