Donald Trump has backed out of debating Kamala Harris citing Democratic party ‘chaos’ – after promising to the showdown ‘anytime, anyplace.’
The former president had initially said on Tuesday he would ‘absolutely’ debate Harris after Joe Biden dropped out of the race – as his vice president, Harris, was likely to replace him.
But on Thursday night Trump backed away from the September 10 faceoff which he already had scheduled with Biden, or organizing a new one – at least until Harris is confirmed as the Democratic nominee.
‘What happened to “any time, any place”?’ Harris wrote on Twitter immediately after Trump backed out.
Steven Cheung, the campaign’s communications director, claimed Democrats were in too much ‘chaos’ since Biden abandoned his reelection bid.
Donald Trump has backed out of debating Kamala Harris at least until she is confirmed as the Democratic nominee
Kamala Harris, pictured during her 2020 debate with then-vice president Mike Pence, said she was ready to go for a debate against Trump
‘Given the continued political chaos surrounding Crooked Joe Biden and the Democrat Party, general election debate details cannot be finalized until Democrats formally decide on their nominee,’ he said.
‘There is a strong sense by many in the Democrat Party – namely Barack Hussein Obama – that Kamala Harris is a Marxist fraud who cannot beat President Trump, and they are still holding out for someone ‘better.’
‘Therefore, it would be inappropriate to schedule things with Harris because Democrats very well could still change their minds.’
The Democratic National Convention on August 19 to 22 will officially determine the party’s nominee for president, but Harris has already secured enough delegates.
Biden and Trump agreed to two debates during the presidential campaign, on June 27 on CNN and September 10 on ABC.
However, the first debate was such a disaster for Biden that it sparked three weeks of chaos that ended with him backing out of his campaign.
Harris mocked Trump after his campaigned announced debate planning was on hold for at least the next few weeks
Harris said she was keen to stick to the agreed schedule, but said earlier on Thursday that it appeared Trump wasn’t locked in.
‘I have agreed to the previously agreed upon September 10 debate, he agreed to that previously. Now it appears he’s backpedaling,’ she said.
‘I think that the voters deserve to see the split screen that exists in this race on a debate stage. I’m ready. So let’s go.’
Harris then mocked Trump after his campaigned announced debate planning was on hold for at least the next few weeks.
‘What happened to “any time, any place”?’ she wrote in reply.
Trump in a press call with reporters on Tuesday insisted he would ‘absolutely’ debate Harris was was open to adding another one to the calendar.
‘I agreed to debate with Joe Biden. But I want to debate her and she’ll be no different because they have the same policies,’ he said.
‘I would be willing to do more than one debate actually.’
Trump said debating Harris would be ‘probably similar’ to Biden.
‘She’s the same as Biden, but much more radical. She’s a radical left person, and this country doesn’t want a radical left person to destroy it,’ he claimed.
The first debate was such a disaster for Joe Biden that it sparked three weeks of chaos that ended with him ending his campaign
Trump said though he committed to the ABC debate, he would prefer it be hosted by another network, such as Fox News.
‘I’m not thrilled with ABC. I guess they committed but I have at least equal say, and I don’t like the idea of ABC,’ he said.
Fox, which has been more friendly to the former president, earlier said it was interested in hosting a debate and Trump said it was mutual.
‘Now that Joe has, not surprisingly, has quit the race, I think the debate, with whomever the Radical Left Democrats choose, should be held on FoxNews, rather than very biased ABC,’ he wrote on his Truth Social platform on Sunday.