Trump agrees with Fox News to debate Kamala Harris

| August 3, 2024

Donald Trump says he has agreed with Fox News to a debate with Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris on September 4.

“If for any reason Kamala is unwilling or unable to debate on that date, I have agreed with Fox to do a major Town Hall on the same September 4th evening,” Trump posted on his Truth Social media platform.

Trump said the contest would take place in Pennsylvania and the rules would be similar to his debate with President Joe Biden but with a full arena audience.

Earlier, the Democratic National Committee said Harris had secured enough votes from Democratic delegates to become the party’s nominee for president.

Harris needed to pass a 2350-vote threshold from delegates to formally secure the nomination, her campaign said.

“I am honoured to be the presumptive Democratic nominee,” Harris said on a call with supporters. 

Democratic National Committee chair Jaime Harrison said “we will rally around Vice President Kamala Harris and demonstrate the strength of our party” during its convention in Chicago later in August.

It was the culmination of a turbulent process that was up-ended by Biden’s decision not to seek re-election. 

Harris has not yet chosen her running mate and she is expected to interview candidates over the weekend.

Harris was endorsed by Biden shortly after he dropped out of the race, catapulting her to the forefront of the campaign to beat Republican nominee Donald Trump. 

No other major candidate challenged Harris for the nomination and she was the only choice for delegates under party rules that required pledges of support from at least 300 delegates, with no more than 50 signatures from any one delegation. 

Any delegate who wants to vote for someone other than Harris will be tallied as “present”.

Democrats still plan a state-by-state roll call during the convention, the traditional way that a nominee is chosen. 

However, that will be purely ceremonial because of the online voting.