On Thursday, President Donald Trump announced that he has agreed to participate in three debates with Vice President Kamala Harris. The debates are scheduled for September 4 on Fox, September 10 on ABC, and September 25 on NBC. However, when Harris was asked if she would commit to all three debates, she only confirmed her participation in the September 10 event.
When a reporter inquired, “Will you be participating in all three?” Harris responded, “I am looking forward to it,” but then clarified that she was only committed to the September 10 debate. “I have always been on record. I am looking forward to debating Donald Trump, and we have a date of September 10. I hear he has finally committed to it, and I’m looking forward to it,” she stated. When pressed about the other two debates, Harris did not provide an answer and walked away.
Harris has faced criticism for not taking questions from the press, though some argue that her message is still reaching the public. Reports suggest she has given off-the-record briefings to the reporters traveling with her.
Earlier that day, during a press conference—something Harris has not held since emerging as the Democratic nominee—Trump confirmed that he had agreed to the three debates, each hosted by a different television network.
“So we have those three dates and those networks; they’re very anxiously awaiting that date and those dates,” Trump said at Mar-a-Lago. “We have spoken to the heads of the network, and it’s all been confirmed.”
The September 10 debate was initially scheduled between Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden, who has since been replaced by Harris on the Democratic ticket. Harris has insisted that Trump adhere to the debate schedule originally set with Biden, despite the change in candidates.
While Harris has not agreed to the other two debates, the Trump campaign has expressed a desire for more debate opportunities. Harris has also not held a press conference or given any interviews to the media but has frequently delivered her stump speech.