If Vice President Kamala Harris fails to show in two proposed presidential debates that former President Donald Trump has agreed to participate in, these debates could instead become townhall events.
The Trump campaign told The Epoch Times on Sunday that if Harris refuses to participate in a proposed Sept. 4 debate on Fox News from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, and another debate on Sept. 25 on NBC News with Lester Holt as moderator in Grand Rapids, Michigan, Trump will make a solo appearance on television.
Trump and Harris, have both agreed to participate in an ABC debate on Sept. 10 with David Muir, anchor of ABC World News Tonight, serving as moderator at Philadelphia’s Independence Hall. Trump announced that he would be participating in the ABC debate as well as the Fox and NBC ones in an August 8 press conference from Mar-a-Lago.
On Sunday, Trump posted on Truth Social, “I look forward to seeing Kamala at all three Debates!” Harris has appeared to reject the other two debates, telling reporters on Friday, “I am looking forward to debating Donald Trump and we have a date of September 10, I hear he has finally committed to it and I am looking forward to it.” She later added in response to similar questioning on whether she would attend all three debates, “I am happy to have that conversation about an additional debate for after September 10.”
President Joe Biden’s disastrous performance in a June 27 CNN debate with Trump triggered calls for him to withdraw from the race. Following a failed assassination attempt against Trump on July 13, calls for Biden to exit the race grew louder and on July 21, Biden bowed out but said he would finish his term and endorsed Harris.
The RealClear Politics average of opinion polls is showing Harris edging Trump by 0.5 percent and she is expected to get another boost in the polls following the Democratic National Convention, Aug. 19 to 22 in Chicago.
