Trump Vs. Harris Cancelled? Campaign Ditches Debate Plans, Deems It 'Inappropriate'

Former President Joe Biden decided to take control of organizing debates with his presumptive GOP presidential challenger, Donald Trump.

He chose the dates, the networks, the format, and the location. He presented these details in a video, challenging the Trump campaign to accept them as is.

Trump took it. We know how that worked out:

However, Joe Biden's campaign fell apart in less than a month after the debate, leading to Vice President Kamala Harris becoming the likely heir apparent as the 2024 presidential nominee. Are they still sticking with that format?

No, and why should they?

In a statement released on Thursday, which immediately caused an uproar on social media, Trump’s campaign announced that he would not commit to a second debate with Harris under the current rules, noting that she is not yet the official nominee.

"Given the continued political chaos surrounding Crooked Joe Biden and the Democrat Party, general election debate details cannot be finalized until Democrats formally decide on a nominee," Trump said in the statement.

"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,’" the statement continued.

Obama, a prominent Democrat, had not openly endorsed Harris as Biden’s replacement until Thursday. Reports earlier in the week indicated he doubted Harris could beat Trump, favoring Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly instead.

(Harris’ campaign account later posted a phone call with the Obamas, in which both Barack and Michelle offered their endorsements early Friday morning, after the Trump campaign’s statement.)

"Therefore, it would be inappropriate to schedule things with Harris because Democrats very well could still change their minds," the statement concluded.

Social media lit up with criticisms from various commentators, suggesting that Trump was afraid of Harris or concerned about appearing weak.

The Trump campaign’s decision is reasonable for two main reasons: the stated one and the unstated one.

The stated reason is valid. The arrangement between Kamala Harris and the Democratic Party leaders seems to be progressing smoothly, but let's wait until it's finalized before making any assumptions.

Barack Obama's lack of an enthusiastic endorsement for the last-minute switch speaks volumes. Additionally, some left-leaning moderates in Congress, such as independent Sen. Joe Manchin and Democratic Rep. Jared Golden of Maine, have outright refused to endorse her.

Time constraints might prevent vetting another candidate not named Harris, with the convention just weeks away. Hence, the unstated reason for the decision: It’s unreasonable to assume that the debate rules set by the outgoing candidate, Biden, should still apply.

Trump took a risk by accepting the debate format proposed by Joe Biden, who chose everything, including the lack of an audience and biased moderators. It worked out well for Trump — so well that he’s now up against Kamala Harris, whose lack of popularity was a key point for the Trump campaign before Biden’s debate performance derailed his 2024 chances.

Even with Harris currently enjoying support from online liberals, polling data suggests that any bump she’s received from Biden’s exit may not be enough to secure a win if the election were held today. This honeymoon phase won’t last long.

It will only get tougher for Harris, especially as she faces questions about her knowledge of Biden’s cognitive decline.

Some Democrats never wanted a presidential debate with Trump in the first place. Now, they want it under the same rules proposed by someone no longer in the race, and if not, Trump is labeled as cowardly.

No: Trump is simply playing by the same rules, if not even fairer ones. If the left is upset, perhaps they should consider a different arena. An older gentleman soon to be out of a job might be looking for a golf partner.