‘She’s not smart enough’: Trump says he’s accepted three debates against Harris

Donald Trump has agreed to three debates against Kamala Harris, who he claimed was “not smart enough to do a news conference”.

Former President Donald Trump on Thursday said he has agreed to three debates against Vice President Kamala Harris, including one hosted by ABC News that he previously cast doubt upon.

The three debates will occur September 4 on Fox News, September 10 on ABC and September 25 on NBC, according to Trump’s team.

“So we have those three dates and those networks, they’re very anxiously awaiting that date and those dates,” Trump told reporters during a press conference in Mar-a-Lago, the New York Postreports.

“We have spoken to the heads of the network and it’s all been confirmed.”

Former President Donald Trump said at a press conference he has agreed to three debates with Vice President Kamala Harris. Picture: Joe Raedle/Getty Images/AFP

Prior to President Biden’s withdrawal from the 2024 race, the two campaigns agreed to a September 10 debate hosted by ABC News and a yet-to-be-scheduled vice presidential debate hosted by CBS News.

“We also have CBS is going to do the vice presidential debate. So CBS will do a vice presidential. And, and I have to tell you, JD Vance has really stepped up. He’s doing a fantastic job,” Trump later added Thursday.

Trump and his running mate JD Vance (R-Ohio) had raised questions about their commitment to the ABC and CBS debates respectively.

The 45th president suggested last Friday that the ABC News debate had “been terminated.”

“I have agreed with Fox News to debate Kamala Harris on Wednesday, September 4th. The Debate was previously scheduled against Sleepy Joe Biden on ABC, but has been terminated in that Biden will no longer be a participant, and I am in litigation against ABC Network,” Trump posted on Truth Social last Friday.

The Trump campaign said the debates with Harris will all be in September. Picture: Andrew Harnik/Getty Images/AFP

A source familiar with the negotiations said that the ABC debate is expected to take place in Philadelphia and that the deliberations were led by Rick Klein and John Santucci.

Vance recently suggested that he’d be squaring off against Harris in the vice presidential debate instead of her veep, Tim Walz.

“So here’s my offer to Kamala Harris: If she’d like to do a debate with me on August 13, I’ll do it. I don’t think she wants to anymore, because one, she probably doesn’t even know that she’s going to be the Democratic nominee,” he said.

Trump also announced that his running mate Sen. JD Vance will have a vice presidential debate on CBS News. Picture: Adam Bettcher/Getty Images/AFP

Trump also boasted that his debate performance against Biden knocked him out of the race and cried foul at Harris replacing him.

“I’m not a fan of his. As you probably have noticed,” he chided. “He had a rough debate, but that doesn’t mean that you just take it away like that.”

Harris has not formally agreed to the Fox News debate and it is unclear if she agreed to the NBC debate. The Post contacted her campaign for comment.

“We aren’t surprised Trump wouldn’t show his face, he’s ashamed of his dangerous Project 2025 agenda, is afraid to debate, and has no positive vision to present to the American people,” Harris-Walz 2024 spokesperson James Singer said in a statement on Wednesday — a day before Trump’s announcement.

Underpinning Trump’s press conference Thursday is his campaign’s beef with Harris for answering few on-the-record questions from reporters since her ascension.

“She’s not doing a news conference. You know why? She’s not doing it because she can’t do a news conference,” Trump jabbed.

“She doesn’t know how to do a news conference. She’s not smart enough to do a news conference. And I’m sorry, we need smart people to lead this country.”

This article originally appeared in the New York Post and has been reproduced with permission.