Kamala Harris challenges Trump’s VP pick JD Vance to televised debate

Vice PresidentKamala Harris has officially challengedOhioRepublican junior Sen. JD Vance, the newly Trump-selectedRepublican vice presidential nominee, to a debate in August.

The announcement comes amid ongoing discussions between the campaigns over the debate’s terms and network partner, the Associated Pressreports.

According to the AP, Harris extended the invitation through a congratulatory voicemail to Vance following his selection as former PresidentDonald Trump’s running mate. The Biden campaign has accepted a proposal from CBS News for a debate on August 13 inWashington, D.C., and is urging the Trump campaign to agree to the same terms.

“Vice President Harris is prepared to debate JD Vance,” Biden campaign spokesperson TJ Ducklo said in a call with reporters on Monday afternoon. “We have accepted the proposal from CBS News to participate in that debate, and we feel very good about it.”

Late Tuesday afternoon, NBC News reported that Vance and Harris spoke. According to the report, he called her back.

The Trump campaign had initially proposed hosting the debate on Fox News, with Trump agreeing to dates that included the CBS proposal and an additional option later in the political schedule. However, the Biden team has indicated a preference for CBS, citing concerns over format and network partnership.

The selection of Vance, a first-term senator with little experience and few accomplishments legislatively who is known for his best-selling memoir Hillbilly Elegy and his transformation from a Trump critic to a staunch supporter, sets the stage for a highly anticipated vice-presidential debate. Harris, who has served as vice president since 2021, brings decades of extensive experience, including her tenure as a U.S. senator and California’s attorney general.

The senator’s strong debate performance influenced Trump’s decision to select Vance during his 2022 Senate campaign. Vance’s ability to remain composed and articulate during heated exchanges caught Trump’s attention, ultimately securing the endorsement that propelled him to victory, The Hill reports.

The debate’s location has also been a point of contention. Trump previously suggested Virginia State University, a historically Black college, as the venue, a proposal initially set by the nonpartisan Commission on Presidential Debates. Virginia’s two Democratic senators, Tim Kaine and Mark Warner, have also urged both campaigns to consider Virginia State University as the debate location, according to the AP.

As of Tuesday, the Trump campaign had yet to respond to requests for comment on whether Vance would agree to the CBS debate date.