Trump says he's ready for debate with Harris but might back out
Photo: Donald Trump (Getty Images)
Former US President Donald Trump said he will probably eventually debate Vice President Kamala Harris before the November election. Still, he left open the possibility of backing out, The Hill reports.
“The answer is yes, I’ll probably end up debating,” Trump tells Fox News host Laura Ingraham, adding that any debate should be held before early voting begins.
Nevertheless, Trump listed reasons why he would not participate, although Ingraham warned that this would allow his critics to say that he was afraid. Trump has pointed to his alleged lead in national and disputed state polls, although these polls show close results. He also argues that the public knows where both candidates stand on these issues.
“The answer is yes, but I can also make a case for not doing it,” Trump adds. “Also, I don’t like rewarding fake news … They’re going to make tens of millions of dollars with this debate. I don’t like ABC.”
Trump and President Biden agreed to two debates, one on June 27 and the other on September 10, organized by ABC News. Biden's disastrous performance in the June debate prompted calls from Democrats for him to withdraw from the nomination, which he did earlier this month, facing mounting pressure.
Harris received the support of enough delegates to become the Democratic nominee. The Democratic convention will be held on August 19-22 in Chicago.
Harris said she was ready for a debate with Trump and accused Trump of retreating to try to avoid a face-to-face confrontation.
Last week, Trump told reporters that he would “absolutely” debate Harris at least once before Election Day. Later, his office said he would not agree to a pre-election debate with Harris “until Democrats formally decide on their nominee.”
