(CNN) – Vice President Kamala Harris accepted an invitation from CNN this Saturday to debate former President Donald Trump on October 23, challenging her rival to another event on a public stage for the final weeks of the campaign.
“Vice President Harris is ready to once again share a stage with Donald Trump,” campaign manager Jen O’Malley Dillon said in a statement. “Donald Trump should have no problem accepting this debate.”
The confrontation would be similar to the first presidential debate of 2024 in June between Trump and President Joe Biden, which took place at CNN’s studios in Atlanta, according to the network.
Trump suggested last week that he might be open to participating in a third presidential debate after his Sept. 10 showdown with Harris, hosted by ABC in Philadelphia. “Maybe if I’m in a good mood,” he told reporters during a stop in California, after previously posting on Truth Social: “THERE WILL BE NO THIRD DEBATE!”
The CNN debate between Trump and Biden on June 27 turned out to be a decisive showdown that changed the course of the campaign. After a particularly poor performance in that Atlanta debate, Biden ultimately dropped out of the race and endorsed Harris as the Democratic nominee.
Harris’ campaign last week dismissed Trump’s announcement that there would not be another debate, with a senior adviser saying the former president “changes his position every day.” The vice president, meanwhile, immediately called for another debate, saying, “I think we owe it to the voters.”
For October, CNN offered the campaigns a format similar to the June debate, in which Trump and Harris would answer moderators’ questions for 90 minutes without a live studio audience.
“Both Vice President Harris and former President Trump have received an invitation to participate in a CNN debate this fall, as we believe the American people would benefit from a second debate between the two candidates for the presidency of the United States,” said the chain in a statement. “We look forward to hearing back from both campaigns so the American public can hear more from these candidates as they make their final decision.”
