Harris campaign says it will participate in 2 presidential debates and 1 VP debate

The Harris campaign said Thursday it will participate in a total of three debates this election season: two presidential debates and one vice presidential debate.

The campaign in a statement sought to put an end to the Trump campaign’s suggestion of additional debates before Election Day, declaring the “debate about debates is over.”

“Assuming Donald Trump actually shows up on September 10 to debate Vice President Harris, then Governor Walz will see JD Vance on October 1 and the American people will have another opportunity to see the vice president and Donald Trump on the debate stage in October,” campaign communications director Michael Tyler said in a statement.

“Voters deserve to see the candidates for the highest office in the land share their competing visions for our future,” he added. “The more they play games, the more insecure and unserious Trump and Vance reveal themselves to be to the American people. Those games end now.”

Vice President Harris has agreed to debate former President Trump on Sept. 10 on ABC News. Trump has said he accepted two other proposed debates, one on Sept. 4 on Fox News and another on Sept. 25 on NBC News. 

But Thursday’s statement makes clear Harris will not partake in either the Fox or NBC events but would instead participate in an October debate with Trump, as long as he attends the Sept. 10 showdown.

On the vice presidential front, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D) and Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio) have agreed to an Oct. 1 debate hosted by CBS News. 

In accepting that date, Vance proposed a second one Sept. 18 hosted by CNN. Thursday’s statement from the Harris campaign indicated there would only be one vice presidential debate, which is in line with historical norms.

Trump had previously agreed to two debates with President Biden: one on June 27 and another Sept. 10. But Biden’s disastrous performance in the June debate triggered calls for him to step aside as the Democratic nominee, which he did in late July.

Democrats quickly coalesced behind Harris as the nominee, and she has surged in the polls, erasing Trump’s lead.