Kamala Harris rejects Donald Trump's offer to shift presidential debate

Washington: Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris has rejected her Republican rival Donald Trump's offer to shift the presidential debate to the Fox News channel, media reports said on Sunday.

Trump, 78, and President Joe Biden -- who was then in the race to the White House -- agreed in May to participate in two presidential debates. The first was in June, hosted by CNN, and the second - to be hosted by ABC News - was scheduled for September 10.

Biden withdrew from the race last month, following which Vice-President Harris, who is of Indian and African heritage, was declared the 2024 presidential nominee of the ruling Democratic Party after she won enough votes from Democratic delegates in a virtual roll call.

On Saturday, Trump said that he has agreed to an offer from Fox News to hold a debate with Vice President Harris on September 4, shifting from the original plan, CBS News reported.

"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," he said.

Meanwhile, Harris took to X to turn down Trump's debate offer on Fox News.

"It’s interesting how 'any time, any place' becomes 'one specific time, one specific safe space'. I’ll be there on September 10th, like he agreed to. I hope to see him there," Harris said.

The Harris campaign also said it will stick to the original plan for an ABC News debate.

It said that "Donald Trump is running scared" hoping that Fox News will "bail him out" of the debate he had already agreed to with ABC News, according to the report.

"He needs to stop playing games and show up to the debate he already committed to on Sept. 10," the report quoted Michael Tyler, the Harris campaign communication director, as saying.

"The Vice President will be there one way or the other to take the opportunity to speak to a prime-time national audience," Tyler said, adding that the campaign is open to discussing further debates but only after the one both campaigns have already agreed to takes place.

Last month, Harris challenged Trump to a debate, provoking him to say whatever he had "to say to her face".

Harris would face Trump in the general elections on November 5.