Donald Trump appeared to reconsider his earlier commitment to debate Vice President Kamala Harris, questioning its value and saying he “probably” will debate but can also argue against it.
In a Fox News interview, Trump was repeatedly asked about his commitment to debating Harris. Previously, he was eager to debate Joe Biden, criticising Biden’s fitness for the presidency. However, since Harris became the Democratic candidate, Trump has been reconsidering the debate terms agreed upon with Biden. He suggested moving the September 10 debate from ABC News, calling it “fake news.”
Last week, Trump firmly said he would debate Harris, feeling obligated to do so. But on Monday, he said, “I want to do a debate. But I also can say this. Everybody knows who I am. And now people know who she is,” eventually stating he would “probably” end up debating but could also argue against it.
Trump has skipped debates before, including all 2024 Republican primary debates, citing timing and venue issues.
In the interview, Trump also clarified comments he made about Christians not needing to vote after he is elected. He urged Christians to vote “just this time,” promising they wouldn’t have to vote again in four years because he would fix the country. His remarks alarmed Democrats, given his previous authoritarian language and refusal to accept the 2020 election results.
When pressed to explain, Trump said he was urging Christians to vote now to fix the country so they wouldn’t need to vote in the future. He made similar comments last month at another Christian event, lamenting low voting rates among Christians and urging them to participate in the election.
