Kamala Harris and Donald Trump Agree to Two Presidential Debates

In a bid to put an end to weeks of election brinkmanship, Kamala Harris’s campaign announced on Thursday that she would debate her Republican rival Donald Trump twice, with their running mates set to face off once. The agreement comes after weeks of negotiations over the number and timing of presidential and vice-presidential debates.

According to the Harris campaign, Trump’s team accepted their proposal for three debates – two presidential and one vice-presidential debate. The first presidential debate is scheduled to take place on September 10, with the vice-presidential face-off set for October 1. A second Trump-Harris debate is planned for later in October.

The Trump campaign did not immediately respond to an AFP request for comment on the agreement.

Harris’s late entry into the race, following President Joe Biden’s withdrawal amid concerns over his age and unpopularity, has turned the election into a sprint to election day more commonly seen in European elections. Harris, who is seeking to make history as the first woman president, is scrambling to pitch herself to the public ahead of November 5.

The Democrat’s national convention in Chicago next week is expected to be a major platform for Harris and her running mate, Tim Walz, to showcase their campaign’s momentum. They have already reversed Trump’s polling leads, obliterated fundraising records, and attracted huge crowds to their rallies.

Meanwhile, CBS posted an offer to Tim Walz and J.D. Vance, Trump’s VP pick, for four potential vice-presidential debates in September and October. Both accepted the October 1 date, but Vance suggested an earlier debate on September 18, which was allegedly offered by CNN.

The debate on September 10 will be hosted by ABC News, a channel the president had previously refused to engage with due to a legal dispute with its executives.