CNN
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Vice President Kamala Harris accepted CNN’s invitation on Saturday, as former President Donald Trump challenged his rival to another engagement on Oct. 23 in a public forum in the final weeks of the campaign.
“Vice President Harris is ready for another opportunity to share a stage with Donald Trump,” campaign chairman Jen O’Malley Dillon said in a statement. “Donald Trump should have no problem agreeing to this discussion.”
Harris tweeted on Saturday that he would “happily accept a second presidential debate” and that he hoped Trump would “join” him on October 23.
Trump argued on Saturday that it was “too late” to hold another presidential debate as Americans began voting in the 2024 election.
“The other problem with the debate is that it’s so late, the voting has already started,” Trump said at a rally in Wilmington, North Carolina.
Presidential candidates traditionally have the final word in the nationally televised October debate following the debate of the presidential candidates. Ohio Sen. Trump’s running mate at the Oct. 1 CBS debate. JD Vance is running against Harris’ vice presidential pick, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walls.
Trump suggested last week that he was open to participating in a third presidential debate following a Sept. 10 showdown with Harris on ABC in Philadelphia. “Maybe if I’m in the right frame of mind,” he told reporters during a stop in California, after previously posting on Truth Social, “there won’t be a third debate!”
Steven Cheung, a spokesman for the Trump campaign, referred CNN to that factual social post when asked Saturday if the former president would accept a debate invitation.
Harris’ campaign last week rejected Trump’s announcement that there would be no debate, with a senior adviser saying the former president “changes his position every day.” Meanwhile, the vice president immediately called for another debate, saying, “I believe we owe it to the voters.”
The October debate will mirror the first 2024 presidential debate between Trump and President Joe Biden in June, which the network says takes place at CNN studios in Atlanta. Trump and Harris will take questions from moderators for 90 minutes without a live studio audience.
“Vice President Harris and former President Trump have both received invitations to participate in the CNN debate this fall because we believe the American people will benefit from a second debate between the two candidates for President of the United States,” the network said in a statement. . “We look forward to hearing from both campaigns so the American public can hear more from these candidates as they make their final decision.”
CNN’s June 27 debate between Trump and Biden proved a consequential showdown that upended the course of the campaign. After a poor performance in that Atlanta debate, Biden eventually dropped out of the race and endorsed Harris as the Democratic nominee.
This story has been updated with additional updates.
CNN’s Kate Sullivan contributed to this report.
