Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump committed to their first debate on Thursday, setting up for a primetime showdown on ABC News on Sept. 10. Trump suggested two more debates, one on Fox on Sept. 4 and one on NBC on Sept. 25. Harris has yet to announce whether she’ll take him up on the offer.
The confirmation of the first debate took place as Harris gained momentum in the race and edged Trump in polling some battleground states. The second “first” debate in September will take place after Harris and Gov. Tim Walz, her running mate, accept their formal nominations at the DNC convention which starts in Chicago on Aug. 19.
Trump’s debate against President Joe Biden in late June became an inflection point for the election. The establishment media and a vocal minority within the Democratic Party used Biden’s performance at the debate as rationale for a sustained campaign which led to Biden dropping out of the race and endorsing Harris.