Trump Agrees to Debate Vice President Harris on September 4

Former President Donald J. Trump announced late Friday his agreement to debate Vice President Kamala Harris on September 4 in an event to be moderated by Fox News. If confirmed, this would be the second presidential debate of the current election cycle and the first face-off between Mr. Trump and the new Democratic candidate.

Debate Details

According to Mr. Trump’s post on his social media platform, Truth Social, the debate is set to take place at a yet-to-be-determined location in Pennsylvania, a critical battleground state. The debate will be moderated by Fox News anchors Bret Baier and Martha MacCallum.

Unconfirmed Participation

As of early Saturday, it was unclear whether Ms. Harris had agreed to the debate and its terms. Her campaign representatives did not respond to requests for comment, and a Fox News spokeswoman also declined to provide answers to questions regarding the event.

Format and Rules

Mr. Trump indicated that the debate would feature a live audience, contrasting with the previous debate between President Biden and Mr. Trump, which CNN hosted in an empty venue due to COVID-19 precautions. Both campaigns had agreed to the format of that debate, but Mr. Trump had expressed dissatisfaction with the lack of a crowd. He mentioned that the rules would be similar to those of the CNN debate, though he did not specify which rules. The CNN debate included measures such as microphone cuts to prevent interruptions.

Trump’s Remarks on Harris’s Candidacy

In his announcement, Mr. Trump also stated that he is “totally prepared to accept” Ms. Harris as the Democrats’ new candidate. Since her campaign began following President Biden’s withdrawal from the race about two weeks ago, Mr. Trump has described her rapid rise as a “coup” within the Democratic Party. He reiterated his discontent with the shake-up in his debate announcement.

Awaiting Confirmation

As the political landscape shifts, the proposed debate between Mr. Trump and Ms. Harris promises to be a pivotal moment in the campaign. Confirmation from the Harris campaign and further details from Fox News are eagerly anticipated.