Critics of former President Donald Trump are calling him out after he seemingly suggested that he wants out of the scheduled Sept. 10 debates against Vice President Kamala Harris, HuffPost reported.
Trump went off on a late-night social media rant on Aug. 25, attacking the ABC News network and some of its anchors, including Jonathan Karl, who was interviewing Rep. Tom Cotton (R-Ak.). He then alluded to putting in question whether he would participate in the debate he had already agreed to join. “I watched ABC FAKE NEWS this morning, both lightweight reporter Jonathan Carl’s(K?) ridiculous and biased interview of Tom Cotton (who was fantastic!), and their so-called Panel of Trump Haters,” Trump wrote.
“And I ask, why would I do the Debate against Kamala Harris on that network?”
Trump already debated President Joe Biden in June 2024 when Biden was the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee. The GOP presidential nominee agreed to a second one in September, but now that Harris is the Democratic candidate, Trump seems to be thinking twice about it. During an appearance on HBO’s Real Time With Bill Maher, CNN’s Kaitlan Collins told Maher and fellow panelists that Trump is struggling with ways to combat the former prosecutor and suggested he may pull out. “I think Trump is nervous about it. I talk to alot of sources in this world, and I think he has really struggled with it. It’s not just a narrative or talking point from Democrats,” she said.
“He really has struggled with how to combat her, and I think going into that debate, he does not really want to do it. I think it’s difficult, if not impossible, for him to pull out because he’s keeping major cards printed that says ‘anywhere, anytime, anyplace’ for President Biden, and it would look weak but I don’t think he’s looking forward to it at this point.”
Critics of the four-time indicted businessman called out him for his social media meltdown, referring to him as a “coward” with funny memes to go along with it. @chunkled called Trump “the biggest chicken from the standpoint of chickens.”
Another user highlighted Harris’ Democratic National Convention speech as the reason behind his fear. “Seems like it. He watched her acceptance speech and had a meltdown,” @dissentingj said.
However, according to Politico, the reasoning behind the debate being in question is the decision to have the mics muted when it is not the candidate’s turn to speak, at the demand of the Biden campaign team. The Harris team wants the mics live at all times in hopes that Trump loses his cool and says something out of pocket on the mic.
