USA Harris and Trump bicker over date for TV duel

Republican US presidential candidate Donald Trump and his Democratic opponent Kamala Harris are publicly bickering over a date for a TV duel during the election campaign. Trump announced on his online platform Truth Social that he had agreed a date with Fox News for a debate with Harris on September 4. Harris, on the other hand, insists on a previously agreed date on September 10 on ABC.

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.

The Republican Trump had complained about the sudden substitution with the Democrats and lamented that he would have to completely realign his election campaign as a result. He was also initially reluctant to commit to taking 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 was unimpressed by this. She would appear at the debate on September 10, which Trump had also agreed to, the Democrat wrote on Platform X. "I hope to see him there." Harris also mocked the fact that Trump had initially declared that he was ready for a debate at any time and in any place - but now suddenly only at a certain time in a "safe place" for him.

The conservative broadcaster Fox News is more sympathetic to Trump. The Republican has close ties to several journalists there and regularly gives interviews to the channel.