By Stephanie Lai
Republican nominee Donald Trump said he’s willing to debate his likely Democratic opponent, Kamala Harris, but suggested he wanted a network other than ABC News to host the forum.
“I’d want to. I think its important,” Trump said Tuesday on a call with reporters. “I would be willing to do more than one debate, actually.”
Trump was scheduled to debate President Joe Biden — before he dropped out of the race and endorsed Harris — in a September event hosted by ABC News.
A representative for Harris’s campaign did not immediately respond to a request to comment.
Trump said he’s “not thrilled” about ABC hosting the event, calling the outlet “fake news,” but stopped short of saying he wouldn’t participate. Trump has previously said he would prefer the conservative television network Fox News to host instead.
The June 27 debate between Biden, 81, and Trump, 78, was one of the most pivotal events of the 2024 presidential campaign. Biden’s stumbling performance fueled party-wide concern about his age and mental acuity, which led to a weeks-long pressure campaign to get him to step down as the Democratic nominee. Biden bowed out of the race on Sunday.
The rules for the June debate were also a source of tension. Biden’s campaign outlined strict terms for answering questions, including firm time limits and microphones that shut off after the candidate’s speaking period has elapsed to prevent interruptions.
For decades, the non-partisan Commission on Presidential Debates has controlled the affairs. Both campaigns balked at its schedule, which had slated the events much closer to the Nov. 5 election. Instead, the candidates agreed to participate in network-hosted debates without an audience.
– With assistance from Akayla Gardner
