Harris campaign counters Trump is trying to back out of a debate that had already been set to run on ABC
\n Washington
\nUS presidential candidates Donald Trump and Kamala Harris are at odds over their first head-to-head debate, with each in favour of a different broadcaster and date.
\nThe Harris campaign is pushing for a debate to take place on ABC News on 10 September, in a slot previously scheduled for a debate between President Joe Biden and Mr Trump.
\nBut Mr Trump says the ABC debate has been \u201cterminated\u201d by Mr Biden leaving the race\u2013and has instead pushed for himself and Ms Harris to debate on Fox News on 4 September.
\nThe pair will face off for the presidency when the US goes to the polls on 5 November.
\nUS TV networks have been negotiating with both campaigns to arrange new dates.
\nOn Friday night, Mr Trump wrote on his social network Truth Social that he had accepted Fox News\u2019 proposal for a debate on 4 September, which is pencilled to take place in Pennsylvania\u2013a key battleground state.
\nHe wrote that the moderators would be Fox News\u2019 Bret Baier and Martha MacCallum\u2013and that the rules would be similar to his debate with Mr Biden.
\n\u201cIf for any reason Kamala is unwilling or unable to debate on that date, I have agreed with Fox to do a major Town Hall on the same September 4th evening,\u201d he wrote.
\nMr Trump added that the prior agreement has been terminated because Joe Biden is no longer taking part and because his defamation case against the broadcaster would mean there is a conflict of interest.
\nThe Harris campaign has responded saying the former president is \u201crunning scared\u201d and is trying to back out of the agreed debate. They said he\u2019s looking to Fox News \u2013 a conservative cable network\u2013to \u201cbail him out\u201d.
\n\u201cHe needs to stop playing games and show up to the debate he already committed to on Sept 10,\u201d Michael Tyler, Harris Campaign communications director said.
\nMs Harris followed up on social media, saying it is interesting how \u201cany time, any place\u201d becomes \u201cone specific time, one specific safe space\u201d.
\n\u201cI\u2019ll be there on September 10th, like he agreed to,\u201d she wrote.
\nMs Harris\u2019 team said they are open to discussing further debates but only after the agreed one takes place.
\nIf and when the next debate does happen it will be keenly watched to see how the two contenders match up. Ms Harris secured enough pledges to become the Democratic nominee on Friday.
\nDuring a campaign rally in Atlanta on Wednesday, Ms Harris challenged Mr Trump to debate her, saying \u201cif you got something to say, say it to my face\u201d.
\nThe debate news comes just hours after a report by the Homeland Security Department revealed that the US Secret Service made mistakes in their response to the 6 January attack on the US Capitol.
\nMs Harris, who was then vice-president-elect, came within 20ft (6m) of a \u201cviable\u201d pipe bomb planted outside the Democratic National Committee\u2019s headquarters in Washington.
\nThat bomb – and a similar one found at the Republican National Committee headquarters – were placed near the buildings the night before Trump supporters stormed the US Capitol. It remains unclear who planted both pipe bombs.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Harris campaign counters Trump is trying to back out of a debate that had already been set to run on ABC Washington US presidential candidates Donald Trump and Kamala Harris are at odds over their first head-to-head debate, with each in favour of a different broadcaster and date. The Harris campaign is pushing for a […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":422944,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-422910","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-world"},"yoast_head":"\n