Trump Throws Down the Gauntlet to Kamala on Debates

Former President Donald Trump is ready for Kamala Harris. He challenged her to a debate on Truth Social on Fox, not ABC, as initially planned since those negotiations were set with Joe Biden’s campaign before the president quit. Biden was heading toward defeat anyway. The former president wants to debate Harris on September 4 in the crucial battleground state of Pennsylvania:

I have agreed with FoxNews [sic] to debate Kamala Harris on Wednesday, September 4th. The Debate was previously scheduled against Sleepy Joe Biden on ABC, but has been terminated in that Biden will no longer be a participant, and I am in litigation against ABC Network and George Slopadopoulos, thereby creating a conflict of interest. The FoxNews [sic] Debate will be held in the Great Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, at a site in an area to be determined. The Moderators of the Debate will be Bret Baier and Martha MacCallum, and the Rules will be similar to the Rules of my Debate with Sleepy Joe, who has been treated horribly by his Party – BUT WITH A FULL ARENA AUDIENCE!….

I have agreed with FoxNews to debate Kamala Harris on Wednesday, September 4th. The Debate was previously scheduled against Sleepy Joe Biden on ABC, but has been terminated in that Biden will no longer be a participant, and I am in litigation against ABC Network and George…
— Donald J. Trump Posts From His Truth Social (@TrumpDailyPosts) August 3, 2024

Trump announces he’s agreed to debate Vice President Kamala Harris on Fox News on September 4th in Pennsylvania. pic.twitter.com/nX5b4qWZu2
— Olivia Rinaldi (@olivialarinaldi) August 3, 2024

The Sept. 4 date is close to the start of some states’ early voting windows and long after Ms. Harris presumably would have clinched the nomination from her party. (She is expected to secure the nomination once the Democrats’ virtual roll call vote concludes on Monday.)
The first presidential debate between President Biden and Mr. Trump, hosted by CNN, was among the most consequential presidential debates in history, according to experts. Mr. Biden gave a halting performance that contrasted strongly with Mr. Trump, who repeatedly advanced falsehoods.
Mr. Biden’s garbled responses supercharged concerns among his Democratic colleagues about his age and health, as well as his ability to beat Mr. Trump in the general election. After several weeks of declining poll numbers and mounting pressure from key allies, Mr. Biden announced on July 21 that he would withdraw from the race.
Since Ms. Harris has challenged Mr. Trump to debate her and criticized his previous reluctance to commit to a date despite his previous comments to debate Mr. Biden “any time, any place.”

The original ABC News debate between Trump and Biden was slated for September 10. With Harris lusting at the opportunity to debate the former president, here’s her chance. Truth be told, Trump isn't obligated to debate a do-over candidate. But when has he ever shied away from a challenge or a fight? Liberals went apoplectic, thinking he'd backed out of the debate entirely when Harris wasn't the nominee yet. Anyone serious knows that Trump likely intended to debate the vice president, but the race needed to resettle in the aftermath of Joe's departure.

With things leveling out, it's time to refocus and attack.