Donald Trump announced that his campaign has accepted an invitation from Fox News for his yet-to-be-chosen running mate to debate Vice President Kamala Harris. However, Harris has already accepted a different invitation from CBS News for a debate. President Joe Biden’s campaign indicated that they would reject Trump’s offer, citing the specific debate parameters they detailed earlier in the week. The public discussions about debates come after both presumptive presidential nominees agreed to meet twice this summer, bypassing the usual debate commission that has hosted debates since 1988. The first debate will be hosted by CNN on June 27, with the second by ABC on September 10.
Fox News offered to host a VP debate on July 23, August 13, or a day after both party conventions. Harris had previously agreed to debate on the July or August dates mentioned by Fox. Trump suggested that the debate take place at Virginia State University, where Fox proposed hosting the event. The university was originally scheduled to host a debate organized by the nonpartisan Commission on Presidential Debates, and it would have been the first time a historically Black college or university hosted such an event. Virginia’s Democratic senators and Republican Governor weighed in on the importance of holding a debate at the school.
Trump has not yet chosen his running mate, indicating that he may announce his pick at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee starting on July 15. Trump has consistently pushed for debates with Biden, even placing an empty lectern on stage at some rallies as a symbolic invitation to the president. Trump also mentioned accepting an invitation for an additional debate hosted by NBC and Telemundo, in addition to a previously accepted invitation from Fox News for an October debate. Biden’s campaign referred to Trump’s history of playing games with debates, accusing him of complaining about the rules, breaking them, and pulling out at the last minute. Associated Press writer Seung Min Kim in Washington contributed to this report.
