Vice President Kamala Harris has accepted an invitation to debate former President Donald Trump on CNN in October. But will the GOP nominee accept after he said he was done with debates?
Following their matchup on ABC News at the beginning of the month, Trump boasted that he was victorious in his matchup with Harris and, like a “prized fighter,” he would not be seeking another matchup.
Polls have shown that a majority of voters feel Trump lost the debate to Harris, but the Republican nominee has maintained he doesn’t need to face off with her again.
Harris and her campaign have jumped at the opportunity to debate Trump following her strong showing.
Harris campaign chair Jen O’Malley Dillon said in a statement on Saturday that the vice president was “ready for another opportunity to share a stage with Donald Trump.”
She has now accepted CNN’s offer to host a debate between the two on Oct. 23.
“The American people deserve another opportunity to see Vice President Kamala Harris and Donald Trump debate before they cast their ballots,” O’Malley Dillon said.
However, Trump argued on Saturday that it was “too late” to have another debate despite there being 45 days until Election Day.
“The problem with another debate is that it’s just too late. Voting has already started,” Trump said. “Now she wants to do a debate right before the election with CNN because she’s losing badly.”
Harris did post a separate statement on X, calling on Trump to join her on the debate stage once more.
“I hope [Donald Trump] will join me,” she wrote.
“Donald Trump should have no problem agreeing to this debate,” O’Malley Dillon said. “It is the same format and setup as the CNN debate he attended and said he won in June, when he praised CNN’s moderators, rules, and ratings.”
If Trump changes his mind, the debate would mirror the one that CNN hosted between Trump and President Joe Biden in June. It would also be hosted in Atlanta.