Donald Trump Considers Debating Kamala Harris but Weighs Pros and Cons

NEW YORK — On Monday, Donald Trump appeared to reconsider his earlier commitment to debate Vice President Kamala Harris, expressing uncertainty about the value of such a meeting. He stated that he “probably” would debate but added, “I can also make a case for not doing it.”

In a Fox News Channel interview aired Monday night, Trump was repeatedly asked about his commitment to debating Harris, ultimately providing a more ambiguous answer than in recent days.

Previously, the Republican former president was eager to debate President Joe Biden, having questioned Biden's mental fitness for the presidency. However, with Biden no longer in the race and Harris positioned as the Democratic presidential candidate, Trump has been reassessing the original debate terms agreed upon with Biden. He suggested that the September 10 debate on ABC News should be moved to a different network, labeling ABC as “fake news.”

Last week, during a phone call with reporters, Trump was asked if he would commit to debating Harris at least once. He responded affirmatively, saying, “Oh yes, absolutely. I'd want to," citing an obligation to debate.

In the Monday interview, host Laura Ingraham pressed Trump on whether he would commit to a debate. Trump said, "I want to do a debate. But I also can say this. Everybody knows who I am. And now people know who she is."

Trump eventually stated, “The answer is yes, I'll probably end up debating." He added that any debates should be held before early voting starts in states and concluded, “The answer is yes, but I can also make a case for not doing it."

Trump has previously skipped debates, including all the 2024 Republican presidential primary debates, initially citing timing and venue issues before ultimately deciding against participating in any of those debates.

In the same interview, Trump sought to clarify comments he made at a conservative event where he told Christians they “won’t have to vote anymore” after he's elected. He urged Christians, whom he claims don’t vote in high numbers, to vote “just this time," promising that after four years, “It’ll be fixed, it’ll be fine. You won’t have to vote anymore, my beautiful Christians."

He added, “In four years, you don’t have to vote again. We’ll have it fixed so good, you’re not gonna have to vote.”

These comments raised concerns among Democrats and others, given Trump's history of using authoritarian language, his claim that he would only be a dictator on “day one,” and his actions following his loss in the 2020 presidential election, which he refused to accept and sought to overturn.

Trump's campaign and supporters offered various explanations for his comments, and Ingraham pressed him to clarify. Trump explained that he was encouraging Christians to vote this time, assuring them he would “straighten out the country” and they wouldn’t need to vote again.

Ingraham asked if he meant Christians wouldn't need to vote for him because he would only have four years in office. Trump responded by discussing Christian and gun owner voting rates, reiterating that people should vote on November 5th and that the country would be fixed thereafter.

Trump made similar comments last month at another Christian-focused event, lamenting low Christian voter turnout and urging their participation in the election. He repeated, “In four years, you don’t have to vote, OK? In four years, don’t vote. I don’t care."