CNN sets deadline for invitation to debate on Harris and Trump

CNN on Tuesday imposed a deadline for Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump to formally respond to its offer to host another debate this month as Election Day approaches.

After the two candidates clashed on ABC News last month, the network offered to hold another Trump-Harris debate on Oct. 23 at its Atlanta headquarters.

In a new statement this week, CNN pressed Harris and Trump to formally declare whether they intend to participate in the event, arguing that another confrontation would be valuable to voters.

“We believe that the American people would benefit from a second debate between the two candidates for President of the United States,” he said.

“With less than 30 days until Election Day, we are setting a deadline for a formal response from both campaigns for this Thursday, October 10th at 12pm ET to participate,” he added.

Harris has previously said she would welcome the prospect of debating Trump again.

“I will gladly accept a second presidential debate on October 23rd,” Harris wrote on X, formerly Twitter, on September 21st. “I hope @realDonaldTrump joins me.”

Jen O’Malley Dillon, his campaign chair, echoed the candidate’s message, noting that the rules would be similar to those when Trump debated President Joe Biden on CNN this summer.

“Trump should have no problem agreeing to this debate,” she said at the time. “It’s the same format and setup as the CNN debate he participated in and said he won in June, when he praised CNN’s moderators, rules and ratings.”

Biden’s poor performance in the June debate prompted his decision to withdraw his candidacy, paving the way for Harris to become the Democratic nominee.

But Trump argued that the date advanced by CNN is “too late” in the campaign cycle, despite being in line with the debate calendar of previous election seasons.

Brian Fallon, a spokesman for Harris’ campaign, confirmed Tuesday that “Harris remains ready to appear in the October 23 CNN debate if Trump agrees.”

“Trump has avoided 60 Minutes and the debates and refused to release medical records in the final weeks of the campaign, while his speeches show he is increasingly less stable,” Fallon wrote on X.

Trump has not yet addressed CNN’s latest deadline, but said last week that he “does not intend to have” another debate with Harris.

More recently, Trump withdrew from a regular interview with CBS’s “60 Minutes,” despite having previously agreed to appear on the program’s election special. The episode continued with Harris’ interview.