Harris’ campaign announced on Thursday that she will take part in three debates this election season, including two presidential debates and one vice presidential debate.
In a statement, the campaign put an end to the Trump campaign’s proposal to hold additional debates before Election Day, declaring that “discussion about debates is over.”
“Assuming Donald Trump does in fact debate Vice President Harris on September 10, Governor Walz will meet with J.D. Vance on October 1 and the American people will have one more opportunity to see the Vice President and Donald Trump on the debate stage in October,” campaign communications director Michael Tyler said in a statement.
“Voters should see candidates running for the highest office in the land sharing competing visions for our future,” he added. “The more they play ball, the more Trump and Vance show their insecurity and lack of seriousness to the American people. That game has to end.”
Vice President Harris has agreed to debate former President Trump on ABC News on September 10. Trump said he accepted the offer to debate on Fox News on September 4 and on NBC News on September 25.
But in a statement Thursday, Harris made clear that she would not take part in the Fox or NBC events and would debate Trump in October, so long as he takes part in the Sept. 10 runoff.
In the vice presidential race, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz (Democrat) and Senator J.D. Vance (R-Ohio) have agreed to a debate on October 1, hosted by CBS News.
But Vance, who accepted the date, proposed holding the second vice presidential debate on CNN on September 18. A statement from Harris’ campaign on Thursday said there would be only one vice presidential debate, which is Historical norms.
Trump had previously agreed to two debates with Biden, on June 27 and Sept. 10. But Biden’s disastrous performance in the June debate led to calls for him to step down as the Democratic nominee, which he did in late July.
Democrats quickly latched on to Harris as their candidate, and she surged in the polls, overturning Trump’s lead.
