Trump backs out of Harris debate as team says Democrats want to install someone ‘better’

GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump’s campaign team backed out of a debate with Vice President Kamala Harris, saying it wouldn’t commit to debate details until the Democratic Party chooses its nominee.

“Given the continued political chaos surrounding Crooked Joe Biden and the Democrat Party, general election debate details cannot be finalized until Democrats formally decide on their nominee,” the former president’s campaign spokesman, Steven Cheung, said in a statement on Thursday.

“There is a strong sense by many in the Democrat Party,” Cheung said, highlighting former President Barack Obama specifically, “that Kamala Harris is a Marxist fraud who cannot beat President Trump, and they are still holding out for someone ‘better.’”

The Trump campaign’s announcement comes two days after the former president said he “absolutely” wanted to debate Harris at some point. At the time, he clarified that while he had previously agreed to debate then-presumed nominee President Joe Biden, he hadn’t agreed to anything debatewise with Harris.

Earlier on Thursday, Harris accused Trump of “backpedaling” on the debate.

“I have agreed to the previously agreed upon Sept. 10 debate. He agreed to that previously. Now here he is backpedaling, and I’m ready,” Harris told reporters.

Shortly after the news broke Trump was backing out of the debate, Harris responded on X. “What happened to ‘any time, any place?’” she asked in a post quoting the news.

“How many delegates do you officially have? Zero. How many people voted for you in the 2024 primary? Zero,” Cheung responded.

Harris was part of the ticket with Biden that voters overwhelmingly chose in the primary elections this year.