Kamala Harris and Donald Trump Prepare for High-Stakes Showdown

Trump has decided to rejoin the ABC presidential debate after initially stating on his social media network that he would not participate.

WASHINGTON—ABC confirmed both Donald Trump and Kamala Harris will participate in a presidential debate on September 10, creating a significant showdown between the Republican and Democratic nominees.

The announcement was made Thursday, not long after Trump proposed three presidential debates involving three different television networks. He mentioned agreeing on certain dates in September during a news conference.

Trump’s reversal on the ABC debate follows an earlier statement where he cited a lawsuit as his reason for not participating. This decision is expected to be a crucial moment in an already unpredictable election season, especially after Democratic President Joe Biden exited the race and endorsed Harris.

“I think it’s very important to have debates,” Trump said. “I look forward to the debates because I think we have to set the record straight.”

The Harris campaign has not issued a statement regarding this development.

Trump hinted earlier this week about a potential debate announcement. He initially backed out of the ABC News debate scheduled for September 10 after Biden withdrew from the race. Trump had expressed a preference for Fox News to sponsor the debate but showed a willingness to consider ABC on Wednesday.

Adding to the tension, Trump’s running mate, Ohio Sen. JD Vance, criticized Harris for not holding a news conference or interviews since Biden’s withdrawal. Harris has her traveling press pool on Air Force Two for all trips, unlike Trump, who does not consistently have a press pool accompanying him.

Sen. Vance has journalists traveling with him regularly and campaigned in the same states where Harris and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz had scheduled events. Notably, on Wednesday, Vance’s plane shared a tarmac with Air Force Two in Wisconsin. Vance intended to approach the Democrats’ plane but was unable to before Harris, Walz, and the press left in a motorcade.