ABC News has announced that it will host the first debate between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris on September 10.
The broadcaster confirmed the dispute in a post on X (formerly Twitter) after Trump said on Thursday that he was willing to have several debates with his Democratic rival before the November election.
“We think we should have three debates,” Trump said, suggesting two more debates that he said would be moderated by Fox News and NBC, respectively.
Ms Harris confirmed her participation in the ABC debate at an event in Michigan on Thursday and later said she was open to further debates.
The network said the debate would be moderated by David Muir, anchor and editor-in-chief of “World News Tonight,” and Linsey Davis, anchor of “ABC News Live Prime.”
“I’m looking forward to the debate with Donald Trump and we have agreed on a date of September 10th. I heard that he has finally committed to it and I’m looking forward to it,” Ms Harris said at the event in Detroit.
Republican candidate Trump debated President Joe Biden once in June.
The two were scheduled to face off again on September 10, but Biden withdrew from the presidential race after a disastrous performance against Trump in the televised debate, clearing the way for Harris to become the Democratic nominee.
The confirmation of the debate on ABC marks the end of a back-and-forth that followed Biden’s decision to drop out of the race between the Trump and Harris campaigns because of the planned confrontation.
Trump had previously stated that he wanted a debate moderated by the conservative broadcaster Fox News. He had said it would take place in Pennsylvania, “at a location in an area yet to be determined.”
The Harris team had stressed that they would still like to debate Trump on September 10.
At a press conference on Thursday at his Mar-a-Lago resort, Trump also said he would like to debate Ms. Harris two more times – on September 4 on Fox News and on September 25 on NBC.
Trump said CBS would host a debate between the two vice presidential candidates, Republican JD Vance and Democrat Tim Walz.
According to a report in the New York Times, NBC News is currently in talks with both campaign teams about a possible debate in the fall.
Fox News said it sent formal letters to both campaign teams last month proposing a September debate in Pennsylvania, but the Harris team said Thursday that “Trump must show up” before they would confirm further confrontations.
Trump also criticized Ms Harris for not answering reporters’ questions or giving interviews since she was named the likely Democratic nominee just over two weeks ago.
He called her “barely competent” and criticized her intelligence.
Later Thursday, Ms Harris told reporters that she had asked her team to “arrange an interview” before the end of the month.
Trump’s hour-long event came amid reports that his campaign was facing pressure from Democrats, who had developed new enthusiasm under Harris and were dominating the headlines.
Polls nationally and in swing states suggest her campaign has gained ground in recent days, even as the race for the White House remains neck and neck.
The former president denied that he had “refocused” his campaign to challenge Ms Harris rather than Mr Biden, and he appeared to grow nervous when asked about the crowds Ms Harris draws at her rallies.
“Oh, give me a break,” he said, arguing that there were more people at his rallies than at hers.
His press conference on Thursday will be the first in several months, as his campaign has so far focused on holding rallies across the country.
Trump also praised his running mate Vance, who recently came under fire for comments he made in 2021. At the time, he said childless people should not lead the country and that women without children were “pathetic” and “childless cat ladies.”
“I have to tell you, JD Vance has really stepped up,” Trump said. “He’s doing a fantastic job.”
He took aim at Ms Harris’ track record on immigration and the economy.
He said that during the Biden-Harris administration, 20 million people have crossed the southern U.S. border with Mexico, possibly many more.
Since Biden took office, nearly 10.1 million border crossings have been recorded, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
Although this represents a significant increase compared to Trump’s time in office and is the highest number ever recorded under a U.S. administration, the 20 million figure seems unlikely.
The former president also said his tax cuts were “the largest in history.”
But according to an analysis by the independent Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, it was the eighth-largest since 1918, measured as a percentage of economic output (GDP), and the fourth-largest in dollar terms since 1940, adjusted for inflation.
While Trump did not introduce the largest tax cut overall, he did pass the largest corporate tax cut in U.S. history.
He reiterated his belief that U.S. presidents should have a say in interest rates and monetary policy – a departure from the long-standing practice of leaving these matters to the Federal Reserve, an independent body.
He stressed that his priorities included reducing inflation, lowering the crime rate and strengthening the military.
And he criticized the government’s transport policy, saying people were being “forced” to buy electric cars.
However, the Biden administration has made it clear that there are no plans to ban the sale of gasoline vehicles.
Ms Harris spoke to the United Auto Workers union in Detroit on Thursday and thanked the union for its support.
She said there were “89 days left to get this done” before the election.
Additional reporting from BBC Verify
