WASHINGTON – Vice President Kamala Harris said Thursday she is ready to debate former President Donald Trump in the 2024 presidential election.
Harris, who skyrocketed to the top of the Democratic ticket after President Joe Biden stepped aside on Sunday in his bid for a second term, said she had previously agreed to the Sept. 10 debate .
“I'm ready to debate Donald Trump,” she told reporters at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland. “I have agreed to the previously agreed upon Sept. 10 debate. He agreed to that previously. Now, it appears he is backpedaling but I'm ready.”
Trump, who is the Republican presidential nominee, originally said he wanted to debate Harris, who is vying for the Democratic presidential nomination. Trump previously agreed to an ABC News debate with Biden on Sept. 10. However, he has in recent days said he wants to replace ABC with Fox News for the debate.
Steven Cheung, Trump's campaign communications director, said late Thursday that debate details remain up in the air.
“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," Cheung said in a statement. "There is a strong sense by many in the Democrat Party . . . that Kamala Harris is a Marxist fraud who cannot beat President Trump, and they are still holding out for someone 'better.' Therefore, it would be inappropriate to schedule things with Harris because Democrats very well could still change their minds.”
Biden over the weekend decided to bow out of the 2024 presidential election , and within the hour of stepping aside endorsed Harris to be the Democratic nominee.
Harris quickly garnered the support of Democratic leaders, as well as raked in record levels of cash. The campaign on Wednesday touted $126 million raised since Biden announced his exit . On Monday, Harris secured the required number of delegates to become the Democratic nominee. She is expected to formally accept that role at the Democratic National Convention scheduled for Aug. 19-22 in Chicago.
Biden’s age and mental acuity were called into question following his poor debate performance against Trump on June 27. After that, the 81-year-old incumbent Democrat faced growing calls to step aside in the 2024 presidential election and end his decades-long political career.
Now with Harris, 59, in the race, Democrats are contrasting her age against Trump, 78.
“I think the voters deserve to see the split screen that exists in this race on a debate stage and so I'm ready,” Harris said. “Let’s go.”
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Will Kamala Harris debate Donald Trump? She says she's 'ready'
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