CNN has set a deadline for Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump to respond to their offer to host another debate between the two candidates on October 23 in Atlanta. The network emphasized the importance of providing voters with another opportunity to hear from the candidates before Election Day, urging both campaigns to make a formal declaration of their intention to participate by Thursday, October 10. Harris has expressed her willingness to engage in a second debate with Trump, while her campaign chair pointed out that the proposed format would be similar to the one used in a prior debate between Trump and President Joe Biden on CNN earlier in the campaign.
Despite Harris’s readiness to participate, Trump has raised objections to the proposed date for the debate, claiming that it falls too late in the campaign cycle. However, the October 23 date aligns with the timeline of past election seasons and would provide voters with a crucial opportunity to hear from the candidates before casting their ballots. Harris’s campaign spokesperson reiterated her commitment to appearing at the CNN debate if Trump agrees, highlighting Trump’s recent avoidance of debates and interviews in the closing weeks of the campaign.
While Harris has confirmed her readiness to participate in the CNN debate, Trump has not yet responded to the network’s latest deadline. Trump has previously indicated that he is not interested in engaging in another debate with Harris, and recently withdrew from a scheduled interview with CBS’s “60 Minutes” despite initially agreeing to appear on the program. The episode proceeded with Harris’s interview in Trump’s absence, demonstrating his reluctance to engage in traditional campaign events in the final stretch of the election season.
