NEW YORK, May 18, (AP): Donald Trump said Friday his campaign has accepted an invitation from Fox News for his yet-to-be-chosen running mate to debate Vice President Kamala Harris, and he urged her to accept as well. In fact, Harris has already said she’ll debate - but on a rival network.
President Joe Biden’s campaign signaled it would reject Trump’s offer, an official pointing to the acceptable debate parameters it detailed earlier this week. Under those conditions, a Fox News-hosted debate would not qualify.
Republican Trump's post on his social media network came after Democrat Harris accepted a different invitation from CBS News.
The public brokering of debates is continuing after the two presumptive presidential nominees this week agreed to meet twice this summer, bypassing the commission that has hosted debates since 1988. The first will be hosted by CNN on June 27, the second by ABC on Sept. 10.
Fox News said in a statement it offered to host a VP debate on July 23, August 13 or a day after both party conventions. Harris' team previously told CBS she would debate in-studio on the July or August dates Fox mentioned.
Trump in his post said he hoped Harris and his eventual running mate would meet at Virginia State University, which is where Fox proposed holding its event.
The university was originally scheduled to host a debate put on by the nonpartisan Commission on Presidential Debates, and it would have been the first time a historically Black college or university hosted one.