There is new uncertainty about whether former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris will debate on Tuesday, Sept. 10. Both candidates previously committed to the debate hosted by ABC. However, Trump raised renewed doubt about the network in charge of running the event.
The former president suggested he might withdraw from debate night after watching ABC’s Sunday morning show, which featured Jonathan Karl interviewing Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark.
“I watched ABC fake news this morning, both lightweight reporter Jonathan Karl’s ridiculous and biased interview of Tom Cotton—who was fantastic—and their so-called panel of Trump haters,” Trump said in a post on Truth Social. “I ask, why would I do the debate against Kamala Harris on that network? Stay tuned.”
Securing a date for the debate has been challenging for both campaigns. When President Joe Biden was the Democratic presidential candidate, Trump and Biden had agreed to a second debate hosted by ABC on Sept. 10. When Harris took over at the top of the ticket, she agreed to replace Biden for that debate. However, Trump contended that his agreement was with Biden, not Harris, and sought to move the debate to Fox News.
There was an exchange between the camps, with Trump wanting to shift the debate to Fox News and Harris refusing to move from ABC. Ultimately, Trump recommitted to the ABC debate on Sept. 10.
In addition to disagreements over the debate venue, Trump and Harris also disputed over the debate rules. According to sources who spoke with Politico and CNN, Trump’s campaign wants microphones muted when a candidate is not speaking, as was the case in the June debate with Biden. Harris’ campaign prefers that microphones remain active throughout the debate.
Before any debate takes place, the two candidates have been unable to agree on much, which could reflect how things might unfold on stage — if both candidates show up.