Fox News host says Trump — not Harris — is the 'holdup' for debate on his network

25 September 2024

Former President Donald Trump is apparently the lone holdout on a potential second presidential debate on the most conservative mainstream cable news network, according to a Fox News host.

The Hill reported Wednesday that Fox anchor Bret Baier said he's been in contact with representatives of both Vice President Kamala Harris' campaign and the ex-president's campaign, and suggested Harris is amenable to debating Trump a second time on the network. However, Baier noted that he's "getting the sense from [Trump] and the campaign that they aren’t moving past it, and really the holdup is not the Harris campaign and Fox. It is the former president."

"Now, his reasoning, don’t know. I always thought that it would be like a bug zapper in the backyard for the former president in that he couldn’t get away from the light of 70 million viewers and that he would have to eventually, just knowing him, you know, do it if it was on Fox and something he could agree to," Baier said.

Trump's obstinance toward debating his opponent on Fox News is notable in that he previously tried to back out of the September 10 debate on ABC News in favor of a September 4 debate on Fox. Harris countered that Trump had already agreed to the ABC News debate, and that his attempt to switch locations at the last minute was a desperate ploy to move the venue to a safe space for him. The September 4 debate turned into a town hall appearance, which was mostly dominated by a friendly back-and-forth with outwardly pro-Trump Fox host Sean Hannity.

Audiences largely agreed that the former president was outmaneuvered by Harris in the ABC debate, and he has since posted on his Truth Social account that he wouldn't participate in any further debates with the vice president. CNN — which hosted the first debate between Trump and President Joe Biden — invited both Harris and Trump for another televised debate in October, though Harris is the only candidate so far to have accepted the network's offer.

Former Trump White House advisor Anthony Scaramucci said the fact that Trump is unwilling to debate Harris again is an indicator that he fears another staggering loss as the early voting process begins in several key swing states. He acknowledged that his earlier prediction that Trump would face off with Harris again was incorrect.

"I have to confess that I got this wrong about Trump. I thought it was a ruse that he didn't want to debate by President Harris, but it appears that he's actually lost his fighting spirit," Scaramucci tweeted. "There is something wrong. Not exactly sure what it is."

The September 10 debate in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, which was viewed by 67 million people nationwide, was the largest TV audience for any non-sports related broadcast so far this year. Polls have since favored Harris, particularly after pop icon Taylor Swift endorsed the vice president after the debate.

On Tuesday, October 1, Minnesota Democratic Governor Tim Walz and Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio) will face off in the vice presidential debate hosted by CNN. There are currently no more confirmed debates after next week for the rest of the election cycle.

Click here to read the Hill's report in its entirety.

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