Harris accepts invitation to second presidential debate, Trump says it’s ‘too late’ for another
Vice President Kamala Harris accepted CNN’s invitation to a possible second debate and challenged former President Donald Trump to join her.
Harris campaign manager Jen O’Malley Dillon said in a statement Saturday that the Democratic nominee was “ready for another opportunity to share the stage with Donald Trump” and accepted the network’s invitation to an Oct. 23 debate.
“The American people deserve another opportunity to see Vice President Kamala Harris and Donald Trump debate before they vote,” O’Malley Dillon said.
In a separate statement released on X, Harris called on Trump to join her on the debate stage.
At a rally in Wilmington, North Carolina, on Saturday, the former president argued that it was “too late” to hold another presidential debate with 45 days to go until Election Day.
“The problem with another debate is it’s too late, the voting has already started,” Trump said, adding: “Now she wants to have a debate right before the election with CNN because she’s losing badly.”
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Harris’ campaign was quick to call for a second debate between the two candidates shortly after their Sept. 10 meeting on ABC ended. Trump has said he will not hold another one after participating in a CNN debate against President Biden in June.
“Donald Trump should have no problem agreeing to this debate,” O’Malley Dillon said. “It’s the same format and setup as the CNN debate he attended and claimed he won in June, when he praised CNN’s moderators, rules and audience.”
CNN reported that the debate would be similar to the one between Trump and Biden and would also take place in Atlanta.
Mr. Biden Poor performance in June debate That led to weeks of calls for him to drop out of the race. On July 23, the president withdrew into his candidacy for re-election and supported Harris.
Meanwhile, the vice presidential candidates – Gov. Tim Walz and Sen. J.D. Vance – are expected to participate in their own debate hosted by CBS News on October 1.
