On Thursday, the Harris campaign announced that Vice President Kamala Harris will participate in three debates this election season: two presidential debates and one vice presidential debate. This move is intended to finalize the debate schedule and address the ongoing discussions about additional debate events.
Michael Tyler, the campaign’s communications director, emphasized that the debate strategy is set. “If former President Trump attends the scheduled debate on September 10 with Vice President Harris, he will also face Governor Walz on October 1. The American public will get another chance to see Harris and Trump debate later in October,” Tyler said in a statement. He further criticized Trump and his campaign for attempting to negotiate more debates, calling it a distraction from the real issues at hand. “The constant maneuvering and attempts to stretch the debate schedule only serve to show Trump’s and his allies’ lack of seriousness,” Tyler added.
The debates will unfold with Harris and Trump facing off on September 10 on ABC News, a pivotal event for both candidates. Trump has also agreed to two additional debate dates: September 4 on Fox News and September 25 on NBC News. However, the Harris campaign has made it clear that Harris will only participate in the debates scheduled with ABC News and the October debate, not the additional Fox and NBC events.
On the vice presidential debate front, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and Senator JD Vance of Ohio have confirmed a debate set for October 1, hosted by CBS News. Despite Vance’s proposal for a second debate on September 18, hosted by CNN, the Harris campaign has indicated that only the October 1 debate will take place, adhering to traditional debate norms.
The debate arrangements come amid a shifting political landscape. After President Biden’s underwhelming performance in a June debate, which led to significant calls for him to step aside, he resigned as the Democratic nominee by late July. The Democratic Party has since united behind Harris, who has gained momentum and closed the gap in the polls against Trump.