Kamala Harris agrees to debate Vance on voicemail – Washington Examiner

MILWAUKEE — Vice President Kamala Harris has already agreed to debate Sen. J.D. Vance (R-OH) just hours after the Ohio senator was chosen as former President Donald Trump’s running mate and nominated as the party’s vice presidential nominee at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee.

Harris called Vance shortly after Trump nominated him as his running mate, but the two men did not speak, according to a source familiar with the matter. Instead, Harris left a message to “congratulate him on his selection, welcome him to the race and express her hope that the two can meet” at the debate.

Harris and the Biden campaign had already agreed to a vice presidential debate hosted by CBS News earlier this year, which is expected to take place later this summer.

Several Democratic lawmakers close to the Biden campaign expressed confidence in Harris’ ability to take on Vance on stage, praising the vice president’s experience in the Senate and the White House as she prepares to debate policy.

“The vice president will defer to J.D. Vance,” Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) told reporters on a conference call with members of her campaign shortly after Vance’s nomination was announced. “I look forward to that debate.”

Vance has not yet publicly accepted an invitation to debate Harris, but the Ohio Republican told the Washington Examiner In May, he would not hesitate to meet her.

“You know, I’ll do whatever it takes to serve, but I’m very nervous about debating the vice president,” Vance joked sarcastically. “She’s very articulate.”

CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER

Republicans were quick to applaud Trump’s decision to nominate Vance as his No. 2, calling the junior senator from Ohio a step toward the future of the party. Several RNC delegates at the convention hailed Vance as a symbol of “a new generation of leadership for the Republican Party,” with one Republican consultant noting that Vance, as the “heir apparent,” would bolster the GOP’s 2028 presidential ticket.

Meanwhile, Harris faces questions about her own ticket, as Democratic lawmakers debate whether President Joe Biden should be removed from the ticket. Harris has an average approval rating of 38.5%, which could also hurt her if she ends up facing Vance.