The former president has cast doubt with comments about his participation in the next presidential debate, which is currently set for Sept. 10. Trump told his followers on Truth Social to “stay tuned.” Meanwhile, a recent report has claimed the Harris campaign is requesting ABC News, the network hosting the debate, to change its rules for microphones at the debate to allow them to stay on at all times rather than muting the microphone of the candidate not talking, similar to how CNN conducted its debate earlier this year.

“I think Trump needs to do the debate, and frankly, I think he should agree to whatever stupid rules they want,” Cruz said on Fox News’s Hannity. “It’s going to be hostile and rigged regardless, and I think Kamala Harris would love to cancel the debate and blame it on Trump. Look, she’s in a basement. They don’t want her challenged ever. If they have an excuse to get out of a debate, they can literally do nothing for the next 71 days except count on the corporate media to lie.”

Cruz advised Trump to offer a contrast to Harris and suggested she can come up with whatever rules she wants for the debate as long as he gets to “stand up directly and contrast her record and mine.” He called Trump’s record “a success” on multiple factors facing the nation, whereas Harris’s record has been a failure “on every level.”

Another reason Trump should still participate in the debate, Cruz argued, is because Harris will not have the chance to back out of it herself. He also warned that if Harris does not debate Trump, she will not have to answer any questions from the press. 

“And that’s their only hope of winning. It’s focus on joy and changing stuff and not her disastrous record,” Cruz said.

Trump senior adviser Jason Miller suggested Monday night that there are “sinister” intentions behind Harris’s request to change the debate rules, as the report was published on the same day as the third anniversary of the Abbey Gate attack in Afghanistan. Miller added that Harris is seeking an “offramp” not to debate Trump and believes her debate preparation is not going well.

Gov. Doug Burgum (R-ND) similarly predicted the Harris campaign will do all that it can to get out of next month’s debate. He also suggested the Harris campaign wants to “stay in the vault inside the basement.”