Donald Trump asks why should he debate Harris amid campaign pressure, says 'she's worse' than Joe Biden
NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: Donald Trump questioned the necessity of debating Vice President Kamala Harris despite growing pressure from her campaign for a face-off.
Speaking with Fox Business Network host Maria Bartiromo, the former president said he wants to debate Harris but left open the possibility of opting out of it.
Donald Trump highlights pressure from Biden-Harris team
Referencing the political landscape shift following President Joe Biden's withdrawal from the race, Trump said, “Well, I want to. And we’re leading in the polls it seems by quite a bit still."
“She’s better than he is, but I think ultimately she’ll be worse than him," he continued.
The 78-year-old politician highlighted that it was initially Biden's team who pushed for a June debate.
Following the event, several Democrats urged the president to drop out of the race, paving the way for Kamala Harris.
“If I didn’t do the debate they’d say, ‘Oh Trump’s not doing the debate.’ It’s the same thing they’ll say now,” said Trump.
“I mean right now I say, why should I do a debate? I’m leading in the polls. And, everybody knows her, everybody knows me," he added.
Donald Trump's hesitancy to debate Kamala Harris
The remarks, recorded on Thursday, July 25, and aired on Friday, July 26, on Fox Business Network, mark the latest instance of Donald Trump wavering on the idea of a debate with Harris as she moves closer to securing the Democratic nomination during the Democratic National Convention.
Initially, Trump told reporters that he would “absolutely” debate Harris. However, his campaign subsequently declined to commit until the vice president is official nominee.
Previously, Trump and Biden campaigns agreed to a second debate hosted by ABC News on September 9 but the former president suggested that the change in the Democratic ticket's candidate allows him to push for alterations, potentially in the host or format, according to The Hill.
Expressing frustration with ABC News, Trump proposed that the second debate should be hosted by Fox News.
Kamala Harris slams Donald Trump for 'pulling out' of the debate
Addressing a lively crowd in Atlanta on Tuesday night, July 30, Kamala Harris challenged Donald Trump for "pulling out” of the presidential debate.
Looking directly at the camera, the vice president said, “Well Donald, I do hope you’ll reconsider to meet me on the debate stage because as the saying goes, if you got something to say, say it to my face."
