Kamala Harris to debate Donald Trump on Sept. 10 (AP Photo)
Former US President and Republican candidate Donald Trump (2017-2021) said on Tuesday that he has reached an agreement with Democrats to, as planned, debate Vice President Kamala Harris on September 10 on ABC News.
“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 most disgusting and unfair channel in the industry,” he said on his social network, Truth Social.
The rules, he said, will be the same as those set on June 27, the day he faced off with the then Democratic candidate, President Joe Biden. The latter’s poor performance in that debate led to his withdrawal from the re-election race in July.
On September 10 in Philadelphia, Trump said, both candidates will be standing and will not be able to have notes at their disposal.
The New York tycoon did not specify, but during his meeting with Biden in June, the microphones of those who were not due to speak were muted.
He did say that ABC News had assured him that the debate would be “fair” and that no one would be given questions in advance.
Republican presidential candidate Donald J. Trump speaks at a campaign rally at the Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale, Arizona (EFE/EPA/Allison Dinner)
Trump added that Harris has not agreed to debate him on September 4 on Fox News and stressed that he is keeping that possibility open in case the Democrat changes her mind, “just as she has done with every one of her cherished beliefs.”
“A possible third debate, which would be on NBC FAKE NEWS, has not been accepted by the radical left. GOD BLESS THE UNITED STATES!” he concluded on his social network.
Disagreements over the September 10th meeting had already put its holding in doubt this week.
On Monday, Trump had criticized the channel’s “hostility” toward conservatives and reproached the fact that a change in rules was being considered, saying that he would prefer to do so on NBC, CBS or FOX News.
Harris’ campaign said it had asked ABC News to keep its microphones on so it could have an immediate right to reply, and Trump insisted there had been an agreement in the past to mute them.
“Kamala refuses to give interviews because she doesn’t trust her own level of intelligence and now wants to change the rules of the debate on ABC ‘Fake’ News,” he had said on his social network on Monday. The tycoon’s team wants to keep the same format that already worked for him in the only face-to-face he had on television with Biden, mainly so that the microphones would be turned on in turns and only the speaker’s would be connected, which limits interruptions. Harris, on the other hand, wants them never to be turned off.
Trump himself admitted to the media on Monday that he does not attach much importance to this issue. “We agree on the same rules. I don’t know, I don’t care, I would probably like to have it always on,” he responded to a question on this subject, according to the American channel CNN.
(With information from EFE and EP)
