You know by now that the playbook has shifted from "J.D. Vance is weird" to "Donald Trump is afraid to debate Kamala Harris" and has thus pulled out of the September 10 debate he had agreed to with then-nominee Joe Biden. As our own Doug Powers has reported, the media is off and running with the narrative, with outlets from the New York Times to Vanity Fair claiming in headlines that Trump has "backed out" of a debate that was never scheduled.
Kamala HQ has released a statement, as has the Kamala Harris X account, which deems Fox News a "safe space" for Trump. This editor covered the 2020 election, and the moment Fox News called Arizona for Biden with 4 percent of the vote in is when a lot of conservatives stopped watching Fox News.
Consider that Trump took up Biden's challenge to "make my day, pal" with a host of conditions: that the debate be held on a Biden-friendly network like CNN, CBS, ABC, or Telemundo; that microphones be cut off; and that there be no audience. Trump agreed anyway, and the rest is history.
Here's Kamala Harris' interns making it sound like he backed out of his original challenge (he didn't) and opted instead for a safe space.
It’s interesting how “any time, any place” becomes “one specific time, one specific safe space.”
— Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) August 3, 2024
I’ll be there on September 10th, like he agreed to. I hope to see him there. https://t.co/zqng89X8QD
We don't know how much of a "safe space" September 4 will be for Trump. Was CNN a "safe space" for Trump, with Jake Tapper an Dana Bash moderating? Moderators will be Martha McCallum and Brett Baier, who's still in the doghouse with a lot of Republicans after election night 2020. Plus, the debate will take place in Pennsylvania, from which Harris is likely to pull her running mate. That doesn't sound like a crowd packed with Trump supporters.
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You attributing quotes from Trump about Biden to act like they were about you is disingenuous.
— ALX 🇺🇸 (@alx) August 3, 2024
You know that though.
Just admit it: You are scared to debate Donald Trump.
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) August 3, 2024
September 10th was agreed to with Biden, not you.
— Joey Mannarino (@JoeyMannarinoUS) August 3, 2024
When you people switched out your nominee, everything changed.
You’re afraid to debate him because you have no policy to stand on and are a complete failure at everything you’ve ever done.
He agreed to debate Joe Biden. You know, before y’all staged an insurrection on his candidacy…
— Tomi Lahren (@TomiLahren) August 3, 2024
That’s weird to think you are Joe Biden
— Chris (@chriswithans) August 3, 2024
Agreed to? pic.twitter.com/aa29ssnR2S
— Stephen L. Miller (@redsteeze) August 3, 2024
It’s interesting how “man up” becomes “I’m scared of Brett Baier.”
— Bonchie (@bonchieredstate) August 3, 2024
Honestly, who do you think is less biased, Jake Tapper or Brett Baier?
You are a coward.
— Alexander Sheppard 🇺🇸 (@NotAlexSheppard) August 3, 2024
President Trump handled CNN with ease but you are too scared to talk to Fox News.
If you can’t deal with them, how are you going to deal with Putin or Xi?
Kamala having trouble walking it like she talks it!
— Peachy Keenan (@KeenanPeachy) August 3, 2024
I thought you were all about walking the walk. Let’s see it
— Estee Palti (@mommyrn88) August 3, 2024
You are a coward
— Philip Anderson (@VoteHarrisOut) August 3, 2024
You won’t agree to the September 4th date.
— FADDE (@fadde) August 3, 2024
Has the Harris campaign even committed to the September 4 debate? Make Trump's day, Kam.
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