Kamala Harris mocked Donald Trump with chicken noises after he suggested he would not be able to participate in a debate against her on the “biased” ABC network.
The debate between Vice President Harris and former President Trump is scheduled for Sept. 10, their first face-off in the run-up to the presidential election.
But on Sunday, Trump took to social media, labeling ABC “FAKE NEWS” and asking, “Why would you do the debate against Kamala Harris on that network?”
Also on Monday, while campaigning in Northern Virginia, Trump was again asked if he should attend the debate.
He replied: “I think ABC should be left out. I’d rather do it on NBC.”
“I’d rather do it on CBS. Frankly, I think CBS is very unfair, but it’s the best of the bunch. And I would definitely do it on Fox.”
Kamala Harris’ campaign added chicken noises to clips of Donald Trump talking about how he didn’t need to debate on ABC. (Pictured, a screenshot taken from Kamala Harris’ headquarters at X)
Kamala HQ team posted the video on X and asks, “Are you scared, Donald Trump?” (Kamala Harris gives her keynote speech on the final night of the Democratic National Convention on August 22)
In response, Kamala Harris’ campaign released a video of Donald Trump speaking to Fox News, criticizing ABC and saying he doesn’t need to debate his rival since he has a lead in the polls, with chicken sounds added.
Kamala HQ’s team posted the video on X and asked, “Are you scared, Donald Trump?”
Trump lashed out at the network after 10 p.m. Sunday in a post on Truth Social, where he gave the network’s weekend programming a bad rap before making the threat.
‘I watched ABC FAKE NEWS this morning, both the ridiculous and biased interview by light journalist Jonathan Carl (K?) with Tom Cotton (who was fantastic!), and his so-called Trump Haters Panel, and I wonder, why would he do the Kamala Harris Debate on that network?’ he wrote.
He was referring to the network’s Jonathan Karl, who questioned Trump in the White House during his presidency.
He then went on to attack members of the network’s “This Week” panel, including Donna Brazil, a DNC member who parted ways with CNN after hacked emails published on WikiLeaks in 2016 revealed she sent debate questions to Hillary Clinton’s team.
“Will panelist Donna Brazil ask the Marxist candidate the same questions as she did with corrupt Hillary Clinton? Will Kamala’s best friend who runs ABC do the same? Where is Liddle’ George Slopadopolus now? Will he participate? They have many questions to answer! Why did Harris turn down Fox, NBC, CBS, and even CNN? Stay tuned!!!” Trump wrote.
Kamala Harris’ campaign called Trump a chicken for apparently trying to bypass the ABC debate on September 10. (Another image taken from Kamala HQ’s X account)
Former President Donald Trump criticized ABC News in an online post Sunday, asking why he should hold a debate with Kamala Harris on the network. He again criticized the network on a visit to Virginia, where he appeared with Senate candidate Hung Cao.
Stephanopoulos apologized in July after he was caught on video talking to a bystander about President Joe Biden. “I don’t think I can serve four more years,” the host said, days before Biden decided to drop out of the race.
Trump returned to action during an appearance at a mall lined with Vietnamese shops and restaurants in Falls Church, Virginia.
“I think it’s a disgrace, and I think ABC is a disgrace,” Trump said. “I think having Donna Brazile sitting on that panel, she was the one who gave the answers and the questions to Hillary Clinton before a debate. I think ABC should really be left out. I’d rather do it on NBC. I’d rather do it on CBS, frankly, I think CBS is very unfair, but it’s the best of the bunch, and I would certainly do it on Fox. I would even do it on CNN,” Trump said.
Trump again complained about the ABC roundtable, saying that “the hostility is crazy.” Trump called Harris “dumb.”
The two sides are still haggling over the terms of the next debate, the only one left on which both sides have reached an agreement.
Harris adviser Brian Fallon said both candidates should keep their microphones on throughout the broadcast.
“We understand that Trump’s advisers prefer the microphone to be muted because they do not believe their nominee can act as president for 90 minutes on his own,” she said in a statement. Trump’s team, for its part, says Harris wants a debate in which notes can be taken and opening statements can be made.
Harris’ team denies this. “All three parties (Trump, Harris and ABC) have agreed not to run in the election and we have never asked for anything else,” Fallon said.
Trump was enraged by an interview Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) did on ABC on Sunday, claiming the network was biased.
Trump criticized ABC’s Jonathan Karl for his handling of a recent interview, called Vice President Kamala Harris a “fool” and said he would “probably” prefer microphones to stay on while the rival debate candidate is speaking.
Trump said he would “probably” prefer microphones to remain active, but added, “I think it should be the same,” meaning the pre-negotiated rules without an active microphone should remain in place.
Regardless of Trump’s criticism of the network, he may feel pressured to show up. The June 27 contest between Trump and Biden kicked off the series of events that forced the 81-year-old president to end his campaign.
And next month she will face a Harris campaign that is in motion after her policy convention and a new fundraiser. Harris has also turned the race around in the “blue wall” battleground states, while evening out the race in others. Wisconsin and Pennsylvania have moved to “leaning Democrat,” according to NPR’s latest analysis released Monday, while Nevada, Arizona and North Carolina have moved to “unpredictable.”
Karl clashed with Arkansas Republican Sen. Tom Cotton on Sunday’s “This Week” after criticizing Kamala Harris for her past support of Medicare for All.
Cotton compared it to “taking away workplace health insurance from 170 million Americans.”
—What do you mean by taking away health insurance? What are you talking about? —Karl replied.
“That’s not her position now,” Karl continued. Harris has reversed her stance from the 2020 primaries and is now in line with the Biden administration on health care policy.
“How do you know that’s not his position now?” Cotton replied.
Trump has threatened to pull out of debates in the past, including earlier this month when he threatened to skip the ABC debate in favor of an earlier one on Fox, which Harris has not agreed to.
