Washington, DC: Former President Donald Trump has decided to withdraw from the ABC News debate scheduled for September 10 and has proposed an alternative debate with Vice President Kamala Harris on Fox News on September 4, according to the New York Times. Harris responded on X, stating that she will attend the debate on September 10 as planned and questioned Trump’s shift, saying, "It's interesting how 'any time, any place' becomes 'one specific time, one specific safe space.' I'll be there on September 10th, as agreed. I hope to see him there."

Trump’s announcement on his social media platform, Truth Social, has sparked objections from Harris’s campaign and cast uncertainty over the planned debate. The change comes as Harris gains momentum in national polls, presenting a stronger challenge to Trump compared to President Biden, who had a weak debate performance in June. Trump’s campaign now faces the challenge of adjusting their strategy from a Biden-focused campaign to a Harris-centric one.

A Harris campaign official criticized Trump’s move, accusing him of trying to avoid the ABC debate and seeking refuge on Fox News. Michael Tyler, the communications director for Harris, stated, “Donald Trump is running scared and trying to back out of the debate he already agreed to. He needs to stop playing games and show up to the debate on September 10.” Tyler also mentioned that the Harris campaign is open to discussing additional debates if Trump honors his commitment to the ABC debate.

It remains unclear if ABC News will proceed with the debate featuring only Harris. Harris reaffirmed her commitment to the September 10 debate on X, while Trump declared on social media that he would only debate Harris on September 4 or not at all. The proposed Fox News debate would take place in Pennsylvania with moderators Bret Baier and Martha MacCallum, and Trump stated it would include a live audience, unlike the previous CNN debate. He also noted that the debate rules would be similar to those of the CNN debate but did not provide specifics.

Trump expressed frustration with the sudden change in the Democratic candidate, referring to Harris's rise as a "coup" within the Democratic Party and lamenting the effort he invested in preparing to debate Biden.