What happened
Donald Trump ended weeks of self-fueled speculation and agreed to meet Kamala Harris for a Sept. 10 debate on ABC, the date and network previously scheduled for his second debate with President Joe Biden. Trump also proposed two additional debates with Harris to be hosted by Fox News on Sept. 4 and NBC on Sept. 25.
Who said what
Harris and Trump have both "confirmed they will attend the ABC debate" on Sept. 10, the network said. Last week, Trump said he would not debate on ABC and would face Harris on Sept. 4 on Fox News or "I won't see her at all."
Trump agreed to the ABC debate and proposed the other two during a "combative" and "meandering hour-long news conference" at his Mar-a-Lago club in Florida, The Washington Post said. Asked what he would do if Harris agreed only to the ABC debate, Trump said he didn't "know how that's gonna work out." Harris told reporters in Michigan she was "looking forward" to the Sept. 10 debate, was "glad" Trump had "finally committed" to it and "hope he shows up." She said she was "happy" to discuss "an additional debate after Sept. 10."
What next?
A Harris campaign official "reiterated their position that a Sept. 4 Fox debate is off the table" and said "discussions on future debates depend on Trump's participating in the Sept. 10 debate on ABC," Reuters said. The 90-minute ABC debate will be the "latest crucial moment in an already unpredictable presidential campaign," The New York Times said. It's "expected to be held in Philadelphia," moderated by David Muir and Linsey Davis, and "will probably be held without a live audience."
CBS, with Trump's backing, is discussing dates for a vice-presidential debate between J.D. Vance and Tim Walz, The Associated Press said.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
Elizabeth Gilbert chooses books about women overcoming difficultyThe Week Recommends The bestselling author shares works by Tove Jansson, Lauren Groff and Rayya Elias
-
Turner & Constable: Rivals & Originals – a ‘thrilling’ exhibitionThe Week Recommends Celebration of two of the UK’s ‘greatest landscape painters’ at Tate Britain is a truly ‘absorbing’ experience
-
Political cartoons for December 5Cartoons Friday’s political cartoons include DOJ censorship, bombing the New York Times, and more
-
Is a Putin-Modi love-in a worry for the West?Today’s Big Question The Indian leader is walking a ‘tightrope’ between Russia and the United States
-
Trump pardons Texas Democratic congressmanspeed read Rep. Henry Cuellar was charged with accepting foreign bribes tied to Azerbaijan and Mexico
-
‘It is their greed and the pollution from their products that hurt consumers’Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
Trump targets ‘garbage’ Somalis ahead of ICE raidsSpeed Read The Department of Homeland Security will launch an immigration operation targeting Somali immigrants in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area
-
Hegseth blames ‘fog of war’ for potential war crimespeed read ‘I did not personally see survivors,’ Hegseth said at a Cabinet meeting
-
‘It’s critical that Congress get involved’Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
Appeals court disqualifies US Attorney Alina HabbaSpeed Read The former personal attorney to President Donald Trump has been unlawfully serving as US attorney for New Jersey, the ruling says
-
The military: When is an order illegal?Feature Trump is making the military’s ‘most senior leaders complicit in his unlawful acts’
