Donald Trump says he ‘probably’ will debate Kamala Harris but ‘can also make a case for not’

On Monday, Donald Trump appeared to waver on his previous promise to engage in a debate with Vice President Kamala Harris.

He expressed skepticism about the benefits of such an encounter, indicating that while he is likely to participate in a debate, he could also argue against it.

During an interview with Fox News Channel that aired later that evening, Trump was repeatedly asked about his intentions regarding the debate with Harris but provided a less definitive response than he had in recent days.

Previously, as the Republican nominee, Trump had been keen on debating President Joe Biden after months of questioning Biden’s mental fitness for both the debate and the presidency.

However, following Biden’s withdrawal from the race and Harris emerging as the Democratic candidate, Trump has begun to challenge the conditions of the initial debate agreement made with Biden.

He has proposed that their scheduled debate on September 10 should be relocated from ABC News, which he labeled as fake news.

During a phone conversation with reporters last week, Trump was inquired about his willingness to debate Harris at least once.

He replied enthusiastically, stating, Oh yes, absolutely. I’d want to, emphasizing the importance of participating in debates.

In a subsequent interview on Monday, host Laura Ingraham pressed him multiple times about his commitment to debating.

Trump remarked, I want to do a debate. But I can also say this: Everyone knows who I am now, and they are becoming familiar with her as well.

Ultimately, he affirmed, The answer is yes; I’ll likely end up debating. He elaborated for a moment on the necessity for debates to occur before early voting begins in various states and concluded with, The answer is yes, but I could also argue against it.

Trump has previously opted out of debates, including all those for the 2024 Republican presidential primaries. He initially refrained from participating, citing that the timing felt premature, and later raised concerns about the location of another debate.

Ultimately, he made it clear that he would not engage in any of these discussions. During an interview on Monday, the Republican candidate attempted to clarify remarks he made at a conservative gathering last week.

At that event, he told a group of Christians that they wouldn’t need to vote again after his election. He encouraged Christians—who he claims have low voter turnout—to participate just this one time, stating, You won’t have to do it anymore.

He assured them that in four years, everything would be resolved: It’ll be fixed; it’ll be fine. You won’t have to vote anymore, my beautiful Christians, he added.

He remarked shortly after: In four years, you won’t need to vote again. We’ll have everything so well organized that voting won’t be necessary.

This statement raised concerns among Democrats and others who pointed out Trump’s tendency to use authoritarian rhetoric, his previous assertion that he would act like a dictator from day one, and his conduct following the 2020 presidential election, where he refused to acknowledge the outcome and attempted to reverse it.

Trump’s campaign and supporters provided various interpretations of his remarks, while Ingraham pressed him for clarification.

They don’t vote, and I’m trying to explain it to them. You never vote. This time, make sure you do. I’ll fix the country for you. After that, you won’t need to vote again, Trump stated.

Ingraham inquired whether Trump was suggesting that Christians wouldn’t need to cast their votes for him due to his limited four-year term.

Trump began by discussing the voting participation of Christians and gun owners, but Ingraham interrupted him for clarification. Don’t worry about what’s ahead.

Make sure you vote on November 5th. After that, there’s no need to stress about voting again. I’m confident we’ll improve the country so much that your vote won’t be necessary anymore because there will be such unity and support.

If you decide not to vote after that, that’s perfectly fine, Trump stated. He had made similar remarks at a previous Christian event where he expressed concern over low Christian voter turnout and encouraged them to engage in the electoral process. In four years, you don’t have to vote, alright? In four years, feel free not to vote. It doesn’t bother me, he added.