Former President Donald Trump said Friday that he would no longer participate in a September debate on ABC, opting to accept Fox News’ offer to debate Vice President Kamala Harris on September 4.
The former president said the ABC debate was agreed upon when President Joe Biden was the presumptive Democratic nominee, “but has been terminated because Biden will no longer be a participant.”
Trump also cited his active defamation case against ABC and network anchor George Stephanopoulos, although that process had already been open for months when Trump originally agreed earlier this summer to debate Biden on the network.
Fox News formally invited Trump and Harris to debate on his network in September, just days after Biden dropped out of the race and endorsed Harris.
The network featured two of its anchors, Bret Baier and Martha MacCallum, as moderators, which Trump agreed to in his Truth Social post.
In a tweet posted on Saturday, the vice president said, “It’s interesting how ‘any time, any place’ becomes ‘a specific time, a specific safe space.’ I will be there on September 10th, as he agreed, I hope to see you there.”
His tweet referenced Trump’s refrain during negotiations with Biden that he would debate “anytime, anywhere.”
Trump added that the debate would take place in Pennsylvania, with a packed audience.
A Fox News representative did not immediately respond to requests for comment on whether the debate would have an audience.
A June debate between Trump and Biden was held at a CNN studio in Atlanta and did not include an audience.
Michael Tyler, communications director for the Harris campaign, told NBC News in a statement: “Donald Trump is scared and trying to back out of the debate he already agreed to and running straight to Fox News to rescue him. He needs to stop playing games and attend the debate he has already committed to on September 10th.”
“The vice president will be there in one way or another to take advantage of the opportunity to speak to a national audience in prime time,” he added in the statement. “We are happy to discuss new debates after the one to which both campaigns have already agreed. Anytime, anywhere, anywhere should have no problem with this unless you are too scared to show up on the 10th.
A campaign official also told NBC News that “it is our understanding that ABC intends to provide airtime to any qualified candidates who appear — even if it’s just her.”
Trump’s Truth Social post came on the same day that Harris’ campaign criticized Trump online, running digital ads in local newspapers and accusing the former president of being afraid to debate because of his ties to Project 2025, a plan conservative action plan written by Trump allies for the incoming Republican presidential administration.
The digital ads match campaign messaging at a rally in Atlanta earlier this week.
Sen. Jon Ossoff, D-Ga., who spoke at Harris rallysaid Trump was “too scared” to debate the vice president.
In response, the thousands of people present began to shout: “He is scared. He is afraid. He is afraid.
Later that night, Harris herself took the stage and addressed the former president, saying, “Donald, I hope you will reconsider meeting me on the debate stage. Because, as the saying goes, if you have something to say.”
The rally crowd shouted at Harris, “Say it to my face!”
Trump’s post also came just hours after Fox Business aired a pre-recorded interview with Trump in which he told host Maria Bartiromo: “I mean, now I say why should I have a debate? I’m leading the research and everyone knows it. Everyone knows me.”
This story originally appeared on NBCNews.com read the full story
