New York City: Donald Trump announced Tuesday that he has reached an agreement with Kamala Harris for a September 10 debate on ABC News. This will be the first debate between the two since Joe Biden withdrew from the presidential race after his CNN debate setback.
The agreement follows a prolonged dispute between the Trump and Harris camps over the debate rules. Trump revealed on social media that the debate will follow the same rules as the previous CNN debate.
“I have reached an agreement with the Radical Left Democrats for a Debate with Comrade Kamala Harris. It will be broadcast live on ABC FAKE NEWS, by far the nastiest and most unfair newscaster in the business, on Tuesday, September 10th, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania,” Trump stated. “The rules will be the same as the last CNN debate, which seemed to work out well for everyone except, perhaps, Crooked Joe Biden.”
The debate will be a “stand-up” format, with no notes or “cheat sheets” allowed. Trump also mentioned that ABC assured both sides that the debate would be “fair and equitable” and that neither side would receive the questions in advance.
Originally, this date was set for the second debate between Biden and Trump. However, Trump had expressed concerns about ABC News and preferred to hold the debate on Fox News instead. Harris refused to participate in a Fox News debate on September 4, though Trump indicated that date remains available if she changes her mind.
Harris’ team requested an open microphone rule, opposing the mute mic rule used in the CNN debate, where candidates’ microphones were turned off while their opponent was speaking. This request led to tensions, with Trump threatening to withdraw from the debate entirely.
“Why would I do the debate against Kamala Harris on that network?” Trump criticized ABC, while Harris spokesperson Brian Fallon urged Trump to “stop hiding behind the mute button.” Trump campaign senior adviser Jason Miller confirmed that they agreed to the same terms as the June CNN debate, stating, “We said no changes to the agreed-upon rules.”
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