Trump announces debate with Kamala Harris on Fox News on Sept. 4 with live audience

Former President Donald Trump announced at nearly midnight that he agreed to debate vice president and Democratic candidate Kamala Harris next Sept. 4 on Fox News, in Pennsylvania.

In two publications in his social network Truth, the former president revealed the conditions of the debate, which will be very similar with respect to the one he starred against President Joe Biden in Atlanta, but with a difference:there will be an audience in the stands.

"I have agreed with FoxNews to debate Kamala Harris on Wednesday, September 4th. The Debate was previously scheduled against Sleepy Joe Biden on ABC, but has been terminated in that Biden will no longer be a participant, and I am in litigation against ABC Network and George Slopadopoulos, thereby creating a conflict of interest," Trump, the Republican nominee, announced.

"The FoxNews Debate will be held in the Great Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, at a site in an area to be determined. The Moderators of the Debate will be Bret Baier and Martha MacCallum, and the Rules will be similar to the Rules of my Debate with Sleepy Joe, who has been treated horribly by his Party – BUT WITH A FULL ARENA AUDIENCE!" Trump said.

In another post, Trump mentioned how he spent millions of dollars on the presidential campaign against Biden, only to have Democrats, after an internal crisis following the Atlanta debate, pressure the president to drop out of the race and replace him with Harris.

"As everyone knows, the Democrats have Unconstitutionally taken a Candidate, who was acknowledged to be defeated, and unceremoniously replaced him with a new Candidate. This has never been done before, and is a Threat to Democracy, but I am totally prepared to accept the results of this 'coup,' and replace Joe on the Debate stage with Crazy Kamala Harris," he wrote.

"I spent Hundreds of Millions of Dollars, Time, and Effort fighting Joe, and when I won the Debate, they threw a new Candidate into the ring. Not fair, but it is what it is!" the former president continued.

"Nevertheless, different Candidate or not, their bad Policies are the same, and this will be strongly revealed at the September 4th Debate. I look forward to meeting and debating Kamala Harris on September 4th. This date is convenient and appropriate in that it is just prior to the September 6th start of Early Voting in the 2024 Presidential Election. I look forward to seeing everyone on September 4th, in the Great Commonwealth of Pennsylvania!" he concluded.

The expected debate between Trump and Harris will be the second in this presidential race between a Republican and Democratic candidate, but the first between the former president and the vice president.

In the first debate, held in late June in Atlanta, Trump had a solid performance against Biden, who looked weak, incoherent and very diminished physically and mentally. After that disastrous performance, the Democratic president plummeted in the polls, prompting his party leaders, the media and major Democratic donors to urge him to step aside.

In the end, despite not running in the primary, Harris easily clinched the nomination after convincing state delegates won by Biden to support her, thus closing the Democratic primary cycle that had no competition for either the current president or his vice president, now the official nominee. 

Trump's announcement comes three days after Vice President Harris publicly challenged him to accept a debate at a crucial moment in the electoral campaign.