TV duel fixed, but ...

Harris versus Trump: Dispute over channel and time

US election campaign: Kamala Harris and Donald Trump are currently fighting over a date and a channel for their TV duel.

(Bild: AP/The Associated Press)

Republican former US President Donald Trump now wants to go into a TV duel with Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris after all - but on his terms on the Fox News channel. Harris' campaign team has now called on him to end his "games".

Trump and Harris are arguing about a date and the channel for a TV duel.

"Fox News" or ABC?
Trump announced on his online platform Truth Social that he had agreed a date with Fox News for a debate on September 4. Harris, on the other hand, insists on a previously agreed date of September 10 on ABC. "Fox News is seen as conservative and close to Trump, ABC as neutral.

Biden's TV appearance triggered a political avalanche
Trump and incumbent Democratic President Joe Biden had originally agreed on two TV debates, the second of which was to take place on September 10. Biden's disastrous performance in the first TV debate against Trump at the end of June triggered the political avalanche that ultimately led to the Democrat's withdrawal from the presidential election campaign and paved the way for Harris. The 59-year-old now wants to run against Trump in Biden's place in the presidential election at the beginning of November.

Trump had complained about the sudden substitution to the Democrats and lamented that he would have to completely realign his election campaign as a result. He was also initially coy about agreeing to take to the TV stage with Harris instead of Biden.

Now, however, he has surprisingly come forward with a new proposed date - and a new host. He argued that he was in a legal dispute with the broadcaster ABC - Trump has filed a defamation suit against one of the ABC presenters. There was therefore a conflict of interest.

Harris mocks Trump
Harris was unimpressed. She would appear at the debate on September 10, which Trump had also agreed to, the Democrat wrote on X. "I hope to see him there." Harris also mocked the fact that Trump had initially stated that he would be willing to debate at any place at any time - but now suddenly only at a certain time in a "safe place" for him.

The conservative broadcaster Fox News is well disposed towards Trump. The Republican has close ties to several journalists there and regularly gives interviews to the station.

Democrats: "Stopplaying games"
 Harris' campaign team has now called on Trump to stop his "games" in the discussion about a TV debate. "Donald Trump is scared and trying to duck the debate he already agreed to and is running straight to Fox News to bail him out," Harris campaign communications director Michael Tyler said on Saturday. Trump must "stop playing games and show up for the debate he has already committed to on September 10," the statement continued.