A televised debate between US Vice-President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump has been confirmed for 10 September, ABC News has announced.
The debate, hosted by ABC, will be the first time the two candidates will face each other in a televised debate. Trump had previously proposed three presidential debates with different television networks, agreeing on certain dates in September.
Harris has not yet confirmed participation in additional debates on NBC or Fox. "I am happy to have that conversation about an additional debate, or after September 10, for sure," she told reporters.
The debate comes following President Biden's withdrawal and Harris's emergence as the Democratic candidate. Trump's decision to participate in the ABC debate, despite previously stating he would not appear on the network, sets the stage for a highly anticipated moment in the election.
"I think it's very important to have debates," Trump said on Thursday. "I look forward to the debates because I think we have to set the record straight."
The Harris campaign has not yet commented on the upcoming debate. Trump also used Thursday's event to criticise Harris's running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, calling him a "radical left man."
Trump repeatedly suggested that Harris was not intelligent enough to debate him. In response, Harris has tried to goad Trump into debating, telling an audience in Atlanta recently that if he had anything to say about her, he should "say it to my face."
More than 51 million people tuned in to watch the first presidential debate between Trump and Biden in June. Biden's faltering performance in that debate marked the beginning of the end of his campaign.
Over the next month, Trump survived an assassination attempt, Biden stepped down and Harris became the Democratic candidate, launching a campaign that is quickly gaining momentum.
