Trump backs away from debating Harris, defends Vance’s ‘childless cat lady’ comments

New York: Donald Trump seemed to back away from his earlier commitment to debate Vice President Kamala Harris, questioning the value of a meetup and saying he “probably” will debate but he “can also make a case for not doing it.”

Trump, in an interview with Fox News Channel that aired Monday night (Tuesday AEST), was pressed several times about committing to debating Harris before giving a squishier answer than he had in recent days.

Republican presidential candidate former president Donald Trump wraps up a campaign rally,Credit: AP

The Republican former president had been eager to debate President Joe Biden when he was the Democratic nominee after months of suggesting that Biden was not mentally up for the match-up — or the presidency. But after Biden dropped out of the race and Harris became poised to be the Democratic presidential candidate, Trump has been questioning the terms of the original debate he agreed to with Biden. He has suggested the September 10 debate on ABC News should be moved to a different network, calling ABC “fake news.”

Last week, in a phone call with reporters, Trump was asked if he’d commit to debating Harris at least once. He responded: “Oh yes, absolutely. I’d want to,” and said there was an obligation to debate.

In the interview, host Laura Ingraham repeatedly pressed Trump on whether he would commit to a debate.

“I want to do a debate. But I also can say this. Everybody knows who I am. And now people know who she is,” Trump said.

Former president Donald Trump debates President Joe Biden in Atlanta on June 27.Credit: AP

Trump eventually said, “The answer is yes, I’ll probably end up debating.”

He went on for a minute, saying any debates need to be held before early voting starts in states, and then added, “The answer is yes, but I can also make a case for not doing it.”

Trump has skipped debates before, including all the 2024 Republican presidential primary debates. He initially didn’t participate after suggesting the timing was too early and then questioning the venue of another before eventually making it clear he would not participate in any of those debates.

The Republican candidate also sought in the interview to clarify comments he made last week at a conservative event in which he told an audience of Christians that they “won’t have to vote anymore” after he’s elected.

He urged Christians, who he claims don’t vote in high numbers, to vote “just this time,” and said, “You won’t have to do it anymore.”

In four years, he said: “It’ll be fixed, it’ll be fine. You won’t have to vote anymore, my beautiful Christians,” he said.

He added moments later: “In four years, you don’t have to vote again. We’ll have it fixed so good, you’re not gonna have to vote.”

The comments drew alarm from Democrats and others who noted Trump’s pattern of using authoritarian language, his earlier comments that he would only be a dictator on “day one” and his behaviour after losing the 2020 presidential election, in which he refused to accept the results and sought to overturn them.

Vice President Kamala Harris speaks at a meeting of her old sorority, Alpha Kappa Alpha at Howard University.Credit: AP

His campaign and supporters offered various explanations for Trump’s comments, and Ingraham prodded him to explain what he meant.

“They don’t vote and I’m explaining that to ’em. ‘You never vote.’ This time, vote. I’ll straighten out the country. You won’t have to vote anymore. I won’t need your vote,” Trump said.

Ingraham asked if he meant Christians won’t need to vote for him because he will only have four years in office.

Trump started his answer by speaking about voting rates of Christians and gun owners, and Ingraham interrupted to ask him again.

“Don’t worry about the future. Vote, on, you have to vote on November 5th. After that, you don’t have to worry about voting anymore. I don’t care because we’re going to fix up, the country will be fixed and we won’t even need your vote anymore because frankly, we will have such love. If you don’t want to vote anymore, that’s okay,” Trump said.

In the same interview, Trump also backed his running mate, Senator JD Vance, over past comments about “childless cat ladies” that have gone viral and become a political headache for their White House campaign.

Vance’s 2021 comments criticising Harris and other Democrats as “a bunch of childless cat ladies who are miserable at their own lives” resurfaced after Trump selected the Ohio senator as his running mate earlier this month.

The comments prompted a backlash and warnings from some political strategists that they could cost the Trump campaign valuable votes in a close election that could be decided in a handful of states by a few thousand voters.

Trump said in the interview he did not place a higher value on people with families.

“You know, you don’t meet the right person, or you don’t meet any person. But you’re just as good, in many cases, a lot better than a person that’s in a family situation,” Trump said.

Harris has two stepchildren with her husband, lawyer Doug Emhoff. Emhoff’s ex-wife has called such attacks “baseless” and described Harris as a “loving, nurturing, fiercely protective” co-parent.

Trump said Vance, who had a tough upbringing in Ohio and was largely raised by his grandmother, was simply trying to show how much he values family life.

“He grew up in a very interesting family situation, and he feels family is good. And I don’t think there’s anything wrong in saying that,” Trump said.

AP, Reuters

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