Donald Trump Gives Update on Potential Vice President

Former President Donald Trump has still not picked a potential vice president but has accepted Fox News' vice presidential debate invite on behalf of his future running mate.

Fox News Media said on Friday that it sent a request to Trump and President Joe Biden's campaigns inviting the candidates' running mates to participate in a debate after both political parties finish their nomination conventions. Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris are the presumptive nominees for the Democratic Party. Trump is the presumptive GOP pick.

"On behalf of the future Vice President of the United States, who I have not yet chosen, we hereby accept the Fox Vice Presidential Debate, hopefully at Virginia State University, the first Historically Black College or University to host a Debate," Trump said in a post to Truth Social Friday afternoon.

"I urge Vice President Kamala Harris to agree to this," the former president added. "MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!"

The Context

Biden challenged Trump to a debate earlier this week, which was followed by an invitation from CNN to host the event on June 27 in Atlanta. ABC News is also planning to post a presidential debate on September 10. The invitations have been accepted by both candidates.

Trump chose to skip every Republican primary debate but has said in the past that he would gladly debate Biden. Biden said in his challenge to the former president that was posted to social media on Wednesday, "Donald Trump lost two debates to me in 2020. Since then, he hasn't shown up for a debate."

The former president later responded over Truth Social, saying he was "Ready and Willing to Debate Crooked Joe."

"Crooked Joe Biden is the WORST debater I have ever faced - He can't put two sentences together!" Trump added.

What We Know

Fox News Media proposed two potential debate dates—July 23 or August 13—in its invitation to Biden and Trump. The outlet also said that a different date for the vice presidential debate could be selected "following both nomination conventions."

The Democratic National Convention will host its vote to nominate its 2024 candidates between August 19 to 22 in Chicago. The Republican National Convention (RNC) has planned its nomination vote to be held in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, between July 15 to 18.

Fox News Media also reached out to Virginia State University (VSU) as a "possible location" for the debate, according to a report from Fox News. The event will be hosted by Fox News hosts Bret Baier and Martha MacCallum.

VSU was previously selected by the Commission on Presidential Debates to host a debate on October 1, marking the first time a historically black college or university had been selected to host a general election presidential debate. The university appears to have been dropped from the 2024 debate line up, however, given that the two events agreed upon by Biden and Trump earlier this week do not include the dates proposed by the Commission.

The university released a statement Friday that it was "disappointed to hear media reports suggesting that the U.S. presidential candidates may not participate in the scheduled October 1, 2024, debate," adding that a presidential debate at the university "is a huge win, not only for our students and campus community but for the greater community in general."

Views

Several people have been touted as a potential vice presidential pick for Trump, but the former president has kept his cards close to the vest. He has publicly ruled out choosing Mike Pence, vice president for Trump's term in the White House, and ex-GOP presidential candidate Nikki Haley.

Trump has said that he will likely announce his next running mate at the RNC convention in July, telling WTMJ-TV earlier this month, "I don't say anything is 100%, but you're getting pretty close."

"I'll be doing it in Milwaukee," he added. "We're going to have a great time."

According to the Associated Press, Harris accepted an invite from CBS News earlier this week to participate in a vice presidential debate with Trump's running mate sometime this summer. The vice president has not responded to Fox News Media's invite.

Newsweek reached out to Biden and Harris' campaign via email for comment Friday.

What's Next

The first presidential debate between Biden and Trump will be hosted by CNN on June 27 at the network's studios in Atlanta, Georgia. There will be no audience present, and the event will be moderated by CNN's Jake Tapper and Dana Bush.

Update 05/17/24, 5:33 p.m. ET: This article has been updated with additional information and background.