CNN gives Trump and Harris a deadline to agree on the final debate in 2024

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CNN
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The window is closing for a final presidential debate in 2024 between former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris.

CNN has publicly offered to host a debate in Atlanta on October 23rd. Harris accepted the invitation and welcomed the chance to debate Trump again, but Trump rejected her calls.

On Tuesday, CNN increased the pressure by writing to both campaigns and setting a Thursday deadline for a formal response. After all, debates cannot arise overnight; Organizing events takes time.

“CNN sent out invitations on September 21 to both Vice President Harris and former President Trump's campaign teams to participate in a CNN debate this fall, as we believe the American people will benefit from a second debate between the two candidates “The office of President of the United States would benefit,” the network said in a statement.

“With less than 30 days until Election Day, we are setting a formal response deadline of this Thursday, October 10 at 12 p.m. ET from both campaigns to participate,” the network said.

Typically, U.S. presidential candidates meet for several televised debates, but this election year has been anything but typical since President Joe Biden dropped out of the race weeks after the first CNN-sponsored debate in June.

Harris tried to capitalize on her performance at the ABC-sponsored debate in September by immediately calling for Trump to debate again. CNN then proposed a prime-time face-off on October 23 at the network's headquarters in Atlanta, the same place where Trump and Biden had previously met.

The Harris campaign quickly accepted the invitation to the second debate, adding that “Trump should have no problem agreeing” since “it has the same format and structure as the CNN debate in which he participated.” and which he said he won in June when he won the moderators, rules, and ratings.”

But Trump rejected the offer, claiming it was “too late” for a second debate. (In fact, the CNN date matches the closing debates of other recent election cycles.)

Last week, the Harris campaign said, “She'll be in Atlanta on October 23rd,” so “Donald Trump should step forward and face the voters.” But Trump responded on Truth Social, “I beat Biden, then I beat her and I have no intention of doing it again at any future date.”

Shortly after the Harris campaign received CNN's deadline letter on Tuesday, Harris spokesman Brian Fallon said it “remains willing to appear at the CNN debate on October 23 if Trump accepts.”

“Trump evaded the debates for 60 Minutes and refused to release medical records,” Fallon added, in the final weeks of the campaign, “as his speeches showed he was becoming less and less stable.”