Trump Backs Out of ABC Debate, Demands Fox-Only Showdown with Harris

Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump announced on Saturday that he is pulling out of the ABC News debate scheduled for September 10. Instead, Trump said he will only debate Vice President Kamala Harris, the presumptive Democratic nominee, if she agrees to a new format: a debate on September 4, hosted by Fox News, with a “full arena audience.”

Trump’s decision comes after agreeing to the original debate when President Biden was still in the race. Despite Biden’s withdrawal, Harris confirmed she would still attend the September 10 debate, regardless of Trump’s participation.

“If Harris doesn’t agree to the new format on Fox News, I won’t debate at all,” Trump declared on his social network, Truth Social. “I’ll see her September 4th, or I won’t see her at all.”

ABC News’ initial debate qualifications did not specify candidates by name, only that participants needed at least 15 percent support in four national polls of registered or likely voters.

In response to Trump’s demand, Harris took to X (formerly Twitter), saying, “It’s interesting how ‘any time, any place’ becomes ‘one specific time, one specific safe space.’ I’ll be there on September 10th, like he agreed to. I hope to see him there.”

Trump also falsely claimed that Harris had agreed to the Fox News debate, a claim her campaign denied. According to a source familiar with the situation, there have been no negotiations with Trump or Fox News about a new debate format. Fox representatives did not comment on the matter.

The situation leaves the upcoming debate schedule uncertain, with Harris maintaining her commitment to the agreed-upon date and Trump pushing for a different setup. Stay tuned for further updates on this developing story.