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By Andrew Stanton
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Fox News is proposing to host a debate between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump.
On Tuesday, the network sent a letter to the Harris and Trump campaigns requesting the opportunity to host a debate between the two candidates. Harris became the likely Democratic presidential nominee after President Joe Biden ended his campaign over the weekend.
"Now that Vice President Kamala Harris is the presumptive Democratic nominee, FOX News Media is amending our proposal for a debate this cycle. Given the race has changed, we'd like to request the opportunity to host a Presidential Debate between VP Harris and former President Trump," says the letter. It was provided to Newsweek by a Fox News spokesperson.
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The letter was signed by Fox News President and Executive Editor Jay Wallace and Vice President of Politics Jessica Loker. They suggested holding the debate in Pennsylvania, a key battleground state that could determine the outcome of the presidential race, on September 17.
The letter said that the network is "open" to discussing the date, format, location and whether a format will be used in the debate.
"In recognition of FOX News Media's capabilities and reputation, we cordially extend an invitation to all concerned parties to discuss our proposal. We appreciate your consideration and look forward to the opportunity to foster informed political dialogue at this pivotal moment for our nation," the letter reads.
Newsweek reached out to the Harris and Trump campaigns for comment via email.
Right now, Harris and Trump are expected to debate on September 10, with ABC News as the host. This is the only debate that is scheduled, and more details about the exact location and format remain unclear.
On Thursday, Trump adviser Jason Miller told Axios that a debate "will happen" but that the campaign is "noncommittal" about the ABC News debate. He told the publication there should be multiple debates between Harris and Trump.
"Not only will there be another debate but there should be multiple debates. We do think there should be some diversification in the outlets for who hosts a debate, but I think the public would be sold short if we only did one debate against Kamala Harris in the general election," Miller said, according to Axios.
Trump has said he will debate Harris but has raised concerns about whether it should take place with ABC News as host, given what he views as a bias against him. He suggested Fox News as an alternative network to host the event.
Democrats, however, have ridiculed Trump for not wanting to debate on ABC News. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, who has been floated as a potential Harris running mate, said on CNN he believes the change was proposed because Trump is "afraid" of debating Harris.
Trump faced off against Biden in Atlanta in a CNN presidential debate on June 27. Trump was widely perceived as the winner, despite making numerous false statements. Biden, 81, stumbled through several answers and appeared to lose his train of thought, fueling concerns about his age and ability to win the election.
His debate performance brought calls from Democrats for his exit from the presidential race, which occurred this past Sunday.
It remains unclear when, or if, there will be a vice presidential debate. Harris has yet to select her running mate, while Trump picked Ohio Senator JD Vance.
Update 7/25/24, 10:33 a.m. ET: This article was updated with comments from Donald Trump adviser Jason Miller.
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