Trump threatens to withdraw from ABC debate with Harris

In an announcement on August 25, former US President Donald Trump threatened to completely withdraw from the debate with Democratic opponent Kamala Harris organized by ABC, citing suspicions of bias on the part of the network.

Former US President Donald Trump speaks in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA, August 23, 2024. Photo: Getty Images/TTXVN

"Why should I debate Kamala Harris on that TV station? Just wait and see," the Republican presidential candidate wrote in a social media post on the evening of August 25, accusing the event of bias. Meanwhile, Vice President Harris' spokesman, Brian Fallon, said on August 26 that her campaign wanted the TV station to keep the candidates' microphones on throughout the debate, not mute the opponent when the other spoke like the previous debate between President Joe Biden and Mr. Trump. Keeping the microphone on all the time could increase the attacks on the opponent, attracting mixed comments from the public. As for the issue of muting the microphone, Jason Miller, a senior adviser to Mr. Trump's campaign, said earlier that Mr. Trump's campaign had agreed to the same terms as the June debate hosted by CNN, adding: "We have no changes to the agreed-upon rules." But Mr. Trump himself later told reporters that he wanted his microphone turned on and made it clear that he would not be muted. "For me, muting the microphone is not a problem. But the agreement will be the same as last time. I don't spend a lot of time on debates. I think my whole life has been preparing for debates like this. You can't cram 30 years of knowledge into one week," Mr. Trump told reporters.

During the Democratic National Convention last week, Vice President Harris officially won the party's presidential nomination after President Joe Biden announced he was ending his campaign in July. Before President Biden withdrew from the race, his campaign and Mr. Trump agreed to participate in the September 10 debate hosted by ABC. Former President Trump also proposed that the Democratic candidate participate in another debate hosted by Fox News on September 4. However, Ms. Harris's team declined the offer. The two vice presidential candidates, Republican Senator JD Vance and Democratic Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, are scheduled to debate on October 1 on CBS News.

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Source: https://baotintuc.vn/the-gioi/ong-trump-de-doa-rut-khoi-cuoc-tranh-luan-cua-dai-abc-voi-ba-harris-20240827084946497.htm