WASHINGTON — The Vice President Kamala Harris and the senator JD Vancethe new Republican vice presidential nominee, have not yet agreed on terms for participating in a debate, according to three people familiar with the matter.
Harris has agreed to participate in a CBS News debate on either July 23 or Aug. 13. Two months ago, former President Donald Trump agreed to those same dates, or a later one, on behalf of his then-undetermined running mate, but for a debate on Fox News, which Biden’s team has indicated it will decline.
The people, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal debate discussions, said there had been no progress in resolving differences over which network will carry the debate or its format, but they hope to begin negotiations now that Trump has selected Vance, a first-term senator from Ohio.
In her voicemail congratulating Vance, Harris urged him to accept the CBS debate, according to one of the people familiar with the discussions.
President Joe Biden’s disastrous performance in last month’s debate, his apparent health problems that have caused a schism within the Democratic Party, and Saturday’s attempted assassination of Trump could raise the stakes for the vice presidential candidates’ potential face-off.
“Vice President Harris is ready to debate J.D. Vance,” Biden campaign spokesman TJ Ducklo told reporters Monday after Vance joined the GOP ticket. “We have accepted CBS News’ offer — I think as people know — to participate in that debate, and we feel very good about that.”
Source: With information from AP
