Donald Trump, the contender for the US Presidential seat from the Republican party, expressed his readiness on Thursday to participate in three television debates with his Democratic opponent, Kamala Harris, in September. He intends to revitalise his campaign to counteract the newfound vigour in the campaign of the Democratic vice-president.
ABC News announced on social media platform X that they’re set to host a presidential debate on September 10th, to which both Mr Trump and Ms Harris have consented to participate. During a press conference at his Florida home in Palm Beach, Mr Trump anticipated debates on September 4th, September 10th, and September 25th, with each being facilitated by Fox, ABC, and NBC respectively.
Amplifying the importance of debates, Mr Trump stated, “It’s crucial to have debates. I’m eagerly looking forward to the debates since there is a need to clarify the situation”. His campaign further clarified a jumble in the schedule of the hosting networks for the debates.
No specific details were revealed by Mr Trump, such as the presence of an audience, and there wasn’t an immediate indication as to whether a proposal regarding the additional two dates had been sent to Ms Harris’s team. Her team has not commented on the debates as yet.
Despite announcing that he would not appear on the network, Mr Trump is returning to participate in the ABC debate. This reversal comes after he hinted at an announcement regarding the presidential debate. Earlier, he withdrew from a September 10th debate on ABC News after Joe Biden withdrew from his re-election campaign.
Initially, he had expressed his preference for the debate to be sponsored by Fox News. Nevertheless, he demonstrated a disposition to reconsider the ABC network on Wednesday.
This press conference marked Mr Trump’s first public address since Kamala Harris announced Minnesota governor, Tim Walz as her prospective deputy on Tuesday.
By headlining rallies in the key states of Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Wisconsin, Ms Harris, the current US vice-president and Mr Walz have attracted thousands of supporters. This highlights the positive impact of her late entry and its energising effect on the Democratic party.
Trump’s campaign is hastily adjusting its approach and communication. Opinion polls have shown that Ms Harris has successfully overtaken the lead previously held by Mr Trump over Mr Biden. Democrats have also rapidly amassed large sums of money in contributions from voters and key donors in recent weeks.
Two and a half weeks ago, under the persuasion of concerned Democrats apprehensive about his winning prospects in the upcoming November 5th election, Mr Biden relinquished his waning campaign for re-election. This followed a subpar showing against Mr Trump in the debates. Despite Ms Harris’s rallies recently rivalling the attendance at his own, Mr Trump, on Thursday, ridiculed the crowd numbers at her campaign events. Reiterating, he expressed, “We possess the zeal. It’s with the Republican Party you’ll find enthusiasm.” – Agencies.