Vice President Kamala Harris has accepted CNN’s invitation for a possible second debate and has challenged former President Donald Trump to join her. Harris’ campaign chair, Jen O’Malley Dillon, stated that Harris is ready for another opportunity to debate Trump and accepted the network’s invitation for a debate on Oct. 23. O’Malley Dillon emphasized that the American people deserve another chance to see Harris and Trump debate before casting their ballots.
In response to Harris’s acceptance of the debate invitation, Trump argued that it was too late to have another presidential debate with only 45 days left until Election Day. He highlighted that voting had already started, and accused Harris of wanting a debate right before the election because she is losing badly. Trump participated in a CNN debate against President Biden in June but has stated that he will not do another one.
The Harris campaign called for a second debate shortly after the initial meeting between Harris and Trump on ABC in September. O’Malley Dillon pointed out that the proposed debate would have a similar format and setup as the CNN debate that Trump praised in June, indicating that he should have no problem agreeing to it. The potential debate between Harris and Trump would mirror the one between Trump and Biden and would take place in Atlanta.
Former President Biden’s poor performance in the June debate against Trump led to calls for him to drop out of the race. As a result, Biden stepped aside in his reelection bid and endorsed Harris. Meanwhile, the vice presidential contenders, Governor Tim Walz and Senator JD Vance, are scheduled to participate in their own debate hosted by CBS News on Oct. 1. The upcoming debates will provide voters with important insights into the candidates’ positions and plans for the country.
