Former US President Donald Trump said on Monday that he "probably" will eventually hold a debate with Vice President Kamala Harris before the November elections, but he left the door open to backing out, UNN reports citing The Hill.
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"The answer is yes, I’ll probably end up debating," Trump told Fox News host Laura Ingraham, arguing any debate should be held before early voting starts.
Nevertheless, Trump listed reasons why he would not participate, even though the interviewer warned that doing so would allow his critics to say he was scared. Trump pointed to his lead in national polls and polls in disputed states, although these polls show the race close. He also argued that the public knows where both candidates stand on the issues.
"The answer is yes, but I can also make a case for not doing it," Trump added. "Also, I don’t like rewarding fake news … They’re going to make tens of millions of dollars with this debate. I don’t like ABC."
Trump and President Biden have agreed to two debates, one on June 27 and the other on September 10, organized by ABC News. Biden's disastrous performance at the June debate prompted calls from Democrats for him to drop out, which he did earlier this month amid mounting pressure, the newspaper writes.
Harris has secured the support of enough delegates to become the likely Democratic nominee. The Democratic convention will be held on August 19-22 in Chicago.
Harris has said she is ready for a debate with Trump, and she and her campaign have accused Trump of backpedaling to try to avoid a face-to-face confrontation.
Harris declares readiness for debate: accuses Trump of "backpedaling"26.07.24, 10:03
Trump told reporters last Tuesday that he would "absolutely" debate Harris at least once before Election Day.
His campaign later said that it would not agree to a general election debate with Harris "until the Democrats officially nominate their candidate.