At a large campaign event in Georgia on Tuesday, Vice President Kamala Harris — now the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee for this year’s race — once again pushed for herself and Republican nominee Donald Trump to meet on a debate stage. Initially, there was another general election debate scheduled when President Joe Biden was still the expected Democratic pick, but the Trump camp has been hesitant.
“Well, Donald, I do hope you’ll reconsider meeting me on the debate stage,” Harris stated firmly. “Because, as the saying goes, if you’ve got something to say, say it to my face.” The crowd erupted in applause and cheers.
The originally scheduled debate was set for September, hosted by ABC News. The first debate, which sparked weeks of scrutiny regarding President Biden’s age and ultimately led to his stepping aside from the 2024 election, was arranged by CNN.
Harris’ supporters have seized on the Trump team’s sudden reluctance, interpreting it as a sign of fear on Trump’s part. A spokesperson for Trump dismissed the idea of planning any debate with Harris, claiming there was still too much uncertainty about who the Democrats would actually nominate for this year’s election.
In reality, it became clear quickly that Harris was the only serious contender after Biden’s withdrawal and endorsement of her. She promptly secured the necessary support from Democratic convention delegates, facing no significant challenge within the party. Instead, many prominent party figures who might have contested her candidacy chose to endorse her rapidly rising campaign.
