Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump announced late Friday that he has agreed to debate Democratic nominee and US Vice President Kamala Harris on September 4.
“I have agreed with Fox News to debate Kamala Harris on Wednesday, September 4th,” Trump posted on his Truth Social platform. However, it remains unclear if Harris has agreed to the debate.
Trump’s announcement came just hours after Harris secured the Democratic Party’s presidential nomination for the upcoming November presidential election.
LEADERSHIP reports that the political landscape shifted dramatically on July 21 when President Joe Biden, 81, withdrew his candidacy due to growing concerns about his age and declining poll numbers, subsequently endorsing Harris. Biden’s decision followed a poor debate performance against Trump on CNN earlier in June.
Initially, a second Trump-Biden debate had been scheduled for September 10 on ABC television. This event is expected to proceed with Harris replacing Biden, although Trump’s spokesman Steven Cheung recently stated it was “inappropriate” to finalise the date before Harris was officially made the Democratic nominee.
In his post, Trump provided details about the debate, noting that it would be held before a full audience with moderators from Fox News.