Trump challenges Harris to alternative debate

Republican nominee Donald Trump proposed an alternative debate with Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris, scheduled for September 4 on Fox News.

This bold move has sparked a fierce back-and-forth, as Harris’s campaign accused Trump of attempting to evade a prearranged debate set for September 10 on ABC.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump outlined his vision for the debate, which would mirror the format of his previous encounter with President Joe Biden—now out of the race—but with a twist: a live audience in Pennsylvania, a crucial battleground state.

Trump emphasized the need for an energized atmosphere, stating he would see Harris on September 4, or “not at all.”

Harris, who recently secured enough delegate votes to clinch the Democratic nomination for the November 5 election, quickly countered Trump’s claims. “It’s interesting how ‘any time, any place’ becomes ‘one specific time, one specific safe space,'” she quipped on social media, reaffirming her commitment to the originally scheduled ABC debate. Her spokesperson labeled Trump as “running scared” and indicated that her campaign was open to discussing further debates after the September 10 event.

The clash escalated as both candidates embarked on aggressive campaigning across the nation. Trump has taken to attacking Harris’s character and policies, even raising questions about her racial identity, despite her well-established self-identification as both Black and Asian. During a rally in Atlanta, he made derogatory comments about her name and intelligence, calling her a “lunatic” with a “low IQ.”

In a notable turn, Trump also directed his ire toward Georgia’s Republican leaders, criticizing Governor Brian Kemp and Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger for not supporting his claims of election fraud in the 2020 presidential race. This combative rhetoric contrasts sharply with advice from some senior Republicans urging him to focus on unifying messages rather than personal attacks.

The debate landscape is further complicated by recent polls indicating a tight race between Trump and Harris, with Trump previously holding a significant lead over Biden following the latter’s underwhelming debate performances. In light of this, Trump claimed that the ABC debate was “terminated” due to Biden’s withdrawal and his own legal disputes with the network.

The Democratic National Committee recently ramped up its advertising efforts, taunting Trump with claims that he is “afraid to debate,” a sentiment echoed by advisers to former President Barack Obama, who criticized Trump’s preference for a Fox-hosted event rather than a more traditional debate format.