What to know about plans for Trump-Harris debates
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Whether voters will get to see Vice President Harris and former President Trump face off in a debate before November is an open question.
Why it matters: The fallout from President Biden's flop last month showed that debates can quickly shake up a presidential race and even alter the course of U.S. history.
Catch up quick: Biden and Trump had agreed to another debate on Sept. 10 hosted by ABC News, but Biden bowing out and endorsing Harris threw that plan into flux.
- Harris, who quickly locked in enough Democratic delegates to become her party's presumed nominee, said she would stick with the previously scheduled presidential debate in September.
State of play: Trump had said he was "absolutely" willing to debate Harris just days after Biden ended his campaign.
- Later, Trump maintained that he would debate Harris but pushed back on ABC hosting debate, calling for a more conservative media outlet like Fox News to host.
- Jason Miller, a senior adviser to the Trump campaign, told Axios on Thursday that a Trump-Harris debate "will happen," even suggesting multiple debates.
- Miller, too, was "non-committal" on the Sept. 10 debate hosted by ABC News, saying that "there should be some diversification in the outlets for who hosts a debate."
The other side: Later that day, Harris taunted Trump on social media for "backpedaling" on the Sept. 10 debate, saying, "Voters deserve to see the split screen that exists on a debate stage. I'm ready. So let's go."
- "What happened to 'any time, any place'?" Harris said in another post.
Yes, but: By Thursday night, the Trump campaign had withdrawn from all future presidential debates with Harris "until Democrats formally decide on their nominee."
- The Trump campaign in a statement insisted that "many" Democrats, including former President Obama, were "still holding out for someone 'better,'" adding that it would be "inappropriate" to schedule a debate with Harris "because Democrats very well could still change their minds."
- Obama's endorsement of Harris had been imminent when the Trump campaign released its statement.
- Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama both formally endorsed Harris in a video posted on Friday morning.
Between the lines: When Trump and Biden debated in June, Biden wasn't officially the Democratic nominee.
- Like Harris is now, he was the presumed Democratic nominee at the time. Trump at that time wasn't the official Republican nominee, either.
- Barring any surprise, Harris will have formally secured the Democratic nomination by the Sept. 10 ABC debate.
What to watch: Fox News on Wednesday proposed a Sept. 17 debate in Pennsylvania moderated by anchors Bret Baier and Martha MacCallum.
- It sent invitation letters to both the Trump and Harris campaigns.
Go deeper: Three groups to watch in next round of Trump-Harris polling
