Former President Donald Trump announced that he will participate in a Fox News town hall event after Vice President Kamala Harris declined to join a scheduled debate.
The debate, which was originally set for September 4th in Pennsylvania, was to be moderated by Fox News anchors Bret Baier and Martha MacCallum.
According to Trump, Harris’s team informed his campaign that she would not participate in the debate. The decision comes after Trump had agreed to the debate following President Joe Biden’s suspension of his re-election campaign, leaving Harris as the Democratic Party’s nominee.
Trump, expressing his disappointment on his social media platform Truth Social, criticized Harris for avoiding the debate.
“I am not surprised by this development because I feel that she knows it is very difficult, at best, for her to defend her record setting Flip-Flopping on absolutely everything she once believed in, including her statements that THERE WILL BE NO FRACKING IN PENNSYLVANIA and her HORRIBLE Performance on the Border,” Trump wrote.
Harris’s campaign, however, accused Trump of trying to avoid a more significant debate scheduled for September 10th, which both Trump and Harris have confirmed they will attend. Michael Tyler, the communications director for Harris’s campaign, claimed that Trump is “running scared” and attempting to back out of the previously agreed debate.
“Donald Trump is running scared and trying to back out of the debate he already agreed to and running straight to Fox News to bail him out,” Tyler said. “He needs to stop playing games and show up to the debate he already committed to on September 10.”
In response to Harris’s refusal to debate on Fox News, Trump announced that he will instead participate in a town hall event on the same date, hosted by Sean Hannity in Pennsylvania. The town hall is expected to give Trump a platform to address voters directly, bypassing the debate format.
The decision by Harris to avoid the debate has raised questions about her willingness to engage in open dialogue on critical issues.
While Harris accuses Trump of being fearful, it is she who appears to be avoiding accountability by refusing to face him in a forum that would allow for a genuine exchange of diverse viewpoints.
Harris has faced criticism for her reluctance to engage in interviews, further fueling perceptions that she is avoiding scrutiny.
By opting out of the Fox News debate, Harris seems to be steering clear of an environment where she would be held accountable for her shifting positions and unsuccessful policies.
Trump’s supporters see this as an opportunity for him to connect with voters in a more controlled environment, especially given the importance of Pennsylvania as a key battleground state.
While both campaigns have agreed to future debates, including one on ABC News on September 10th, the cancellation of the Fox News debate has become a focal point in the ongoing battle between Trump and Harris as they vie for the presidency.
Voters will now look forward to the upcoming debates where the candidates are expected to present their visions for the future of the country. In the meantime, Trump’s town hall with Hannity will serve as a critical moment in the campaign, providing the former president with a direct line to his base.