Kamala Harris Opts Out of First Debate - Trump Announces Alternative Plans
Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic presidential candidate, has decided to withdraw from the proposed September 4th debate on Fox News, according to an announcement by former President Donald Trump.
"Comrade Kamala Harris has just informed us that she will NOT do the FoxNews Debate on September 4th," Trump shared on Truth Social.
"I am not surprised by this development because I feel that she knows it is very difficult, at best, for her to defend her record setting Flip-Flopping on absolutely everything she once believed in," Trump wrote.
He specifically mentioned “her statements that THERE WILL BE NO FRACKING IN PENNSYLVANIA and her HORRIBLE Performance on the Border.”
Referring to her as the Biden administration’s "Border Czar," Trump highlighted that during her tenure, "millions of criminals and people from mental institutions and terrorists, have been allowed to pour into our Country, totally unchecked and unvetted. It’s called, and she LOVES IT, an OPEN BORDER!!!"
Instead of participating in the debate, Trump announced, "I have agreed to do a Tele-Town Hall, anchored by Sean Hannity, for Fox. It will take place in the Great Commonwealth of Pennsylvania – Details to follow!"
Previously, the Harris campaign had positioned itself as eager to debate, implying that Trump was the one reluctant to face off.
"Voters deserve to see the split screen that exists on a debate stage. I’m ready. So let’s go," Harris had posted on X.
"We aren’t surprised Trump wouldn’t show his face," said Harris campaign representative James Singer.
Singer also claimed that Trump "is afraid to debate, and has no positive vision to present to the American people," according to Politico.
However, Trump emphasized the importance of comparing the candidates' platforms.
"I want to debate her," Trump stated. "I think it’s important for the country that we debate."
Jim Geraghty of National Review commented on the Harris campaign's media strategy, noting its isolationist approach.
"Think about it: Harris has been the de facto nominee for almost a month, and Walz has been Harris’s running mate for nearly two weeks now," he wrote.
"Neither one has done a single interview or press conference — no sit-down with ‘60 Minutes,’ no meeting with a newspaper editorial board, no Sunday shows. No interviews with local network television affiliates in swing states. Not even an on-the-record chat with Walz’s hometown papers or radio stations," he observed.
Geraghty argued that "it was long past time that the mainstream media started giving Harris and Walz a lot more grief about their shameless effort to avoid questioning between now and Election Day."