Vice-Presidential Debate Set for October 1 as Kamala Harris and Donald Trump’s Running Mates Face Off
In a significant development in the US presidential election, the running mates of White House rivals Kamala Harris and Donald Trump have agreed to face off in at least one vice-presidential debate. The debate, scheduled for October 1, has been accepted by both Democratic Minnesota governor Tim Walz and Ohio’s Republican senator J.D. Vance, who will represent their respective parties.
The debate was offered by CBS News, which posted the invitation on social media platform X. Walz responded with a simple “See you on October 1, JD,” before the Harris campaign officially confirmed the date. Vance also accepted the invitation, suggesting an earlier debate on September 18, which was offered by CNN.
The debate has been a topic of discussion for some time, with some doubt over whether it would actually take place. However, Vance confirmed his openness to the October 1 date in an interview with Fox News, but emphasized that he would not participate in a “fake debate” without an audience, referencing the June 27 encounter between Trump and Biden.
Harris and Trump are set to stage their own debate on September 10, hosted by ABC News. The vice president has expressed her willingness to consider her opponent’s suggestions for further debates.
Harris’s late entry into the race, replacing President Joe Biden after his withdrawal amid concerns over his age and unpopularity, has turned the election into a sprint to election day, more common in European elections. As the first female and first Black and South Asian vice president, Harris is aiming to make history as the first woman president and is working to pitch herself to the public ahead of November 5.
Harris and Walz are set to head to the national convention in Chicago next week, riding a wave of momentum after reversing Trump’s polling leads, breaking fundraising records, and attracting large crowds to their rallies. In almost all swing states that decide the contest, Harris is now level or ahead of Trump, who shocked the world with his 2016 presidential victory but was beaten by Biden in 2020.