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Trump agrees to September Fox News debate; Harris wants to be on ABC

By Simon Druker & Allen Cone
Former president Donald Trump says his campaign has agreed in principle to a new debate with Vice President Kamala Harris set to be broadcast on Fox News Sept. 4. File Photo by Allison Dinner/EPA-EFE
1 of 4 | Former president Donald Trump says his campaign has agreed in principle to a new debate with Vice President Kamala Harris set to be broadcast on Fox News Sept. 4. File Photo by Allison Dinner/EPA-EFE

Aug. 3 (UPI) -- Former President Donald Trump says his campaign has agreed in principle to a new debate with Vice President Kamala Harris set to be broadcast on Fox News on Sept. 4.

But Harris' campaign wants to debate the Republican nominee on Sept. 10 and plans to show up there before the scheduled ABC moderators.

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Trump's campaign confirmed a previous debate scheduled on Sept. 10 on ABC had to be "terminated" after President Joe Biden ended his campaign.

Trump is in the midst of ongoing legal problems involving ABC. The former president currently has a defamation suit against the network and host George Stephanopoulos before the courts.

If the debate on Fox News goes ahead, it would mark the first between Trump and Harris. Trump and Biden previously squared off on June 27 in a debate hosted by CNN in Atlanta.

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Though unconfirmed, Trump said on social media the September debate is expected to take place in Pennsylvania. The former president was grazed by a bullet during an assassination attempt at a rally in that state July 13.

He wrote the debate moderators are anchors Bret Baier and Martha McCallum with a "full arena audience." The June 27 debate was broadcast in a CNN studio without spectators.

"If for any reason Kamala is unwilling or unable to debate on that date, I have agreed with Fox to do a major Town Hall on the same September 4th evening," Trump wrote on his Truth Social network.

Even if Trump doesn't show up for the ABC debate, Harris will be prepared to be interviewed by anchors David Muir and Linsey Davis then.

"Donald Trump is running scared and trying to back out of the debate he already agreed to and running straight to Fox News to bail him out," Harris campaign communications director Michael Tyler said in a statement. "He needs to stop playing games and show up to the debate he already committed to on Sept 10. The vice president will be there one way or the other to take the opportunity to speak to a prime-time national audience."

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Tyler added Harris would be "happy to discuss further debates after the one both campaigns have already agreed to."

Biden in late July dropped out of the race amid mounting pressure from his Democratic Party. He immediately endorsed Harris, as did several prominent Democrats including Bill and Hillary Clinton, and Barack Obama.

Harris on Friday secured enough delegate votes to clinch the Democratic presidential nomination, DNC Chair Jaime Harrison confirmed.

The vice president's campaign also said Harris raised $310 million in July, more than double the Trump campaign.

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