Trump, Harris set for historic debate

The highly anticipated first debate between Republican candidate Donald Trump and Democratic opponent Kamala Harris is set to take place on September 10, broadcast on ABC.

This marks the beginning of a series of direct confrontations between the two rivals in a tight race, with polls indicating a close contest.

Ahead of the event, Trump expressed his desire for additional debates, proposing two extra dates: September 4 and September 25, to be aired on Fox and NBC.

Harris, meanwhile, took to X to express her eagerness for the September 10 debate, stating that Trump had “finally committed” to participating. The debate series is expected to be a crucial platform for the candidates to engage in political discourse and sway voters.

After a campaign stop in the Detroit area, Harris told reporters she was open to discussing more debates, but a campaign official reiterated their stance that a Sept. 4 Fox debate is off the table, Reuters reports.

Future debate discussions hinge on Trump’s participation in the Sept. 10 debate on ABC, the official stated. The Harris campaign had previously opposed a Fox debate, arguing the host network should be one that sponsored recent primary debates by both parties.

Trump had suggested he might back out of the ABC debate, scheduled before Harris replaced President Joe Biden as the Democratic presidential candidate less than three weeks ago, upending the contest.

The Sept. 10 debate on ABC was to be the second of two agreed upon between Biden and Trump, following their June 27 debate on CNN.

An Ipsos poll published on Thursday found Harris has widened her lead over Trump since late July. She leads Trump 42% to 37%, compared with a July 22-23 Reuters/Ipsos survey that showed her up 37% to 34% over Trump.

Thursday’s Palm Beach news conference marked Trump’s first public appearance since Harris selected Minnesota Governor Tim Walz as her running mate on Tuesday.

Harris and Walz have headlined rallies in battleground states such as Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Wisconsin this week, drawing tens of thousands of attendees, signaling how her late entry into the race has energized Democrats.

For Diaspora Digital Media Updates click on Whatsapp, or Telegram. For eyewitness accounts/ reports/ articles, write to: citizenreports@diasporadigitalmedia.com. Follow us on X (Fomerly Twitter) or Facebook