Harris drawing parallels to Obama as young voters eye chance to be part of historic first
USA TodayJul 18
Trump Refuses to Commit to Harris Debate Until Formal Nomination
Image copyright: Joe Raedle/Staff/Getty Images News via Getty Images
The Facts
The Trump campaign said on Thursday that presidential debate details, including dates, can only be agreed upon after the Democratic Party formally selects its nominee.
This comes as Vice Pres. Kamala Harris, the presumptive Democratic nominee following Pres. Joe Biden's recent withdrawal from the 2024 race, claimed to be ready to face off against Donald Trump on Sept. 10.
The Spin
Democratic narrative
Throughout the year, Trump begged to debate Biden with complete indifference to the details. However, the former president and his team became reluctant to face Kamala Harris as soon as she became the presumptive Democratic nominee. Trump fears how he would perform against her, so he is backpedaling now.
Republican narrative
It doesn't matter how hard Democrats and their media allies try to act as if Trump is dodging the September debate; that claim will never be valid. He had agreed to face off with Biden twice after details were negotiated between their teams, so new negotiations over rules and timing must occur once a new Democratic candidate is nominated.