Trump agrees to ABC News debate with Harris, proposes 2 more

[KARAH RUCKER]

FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP HAS RECOMMITTED TO A DEBATE WITH VICE PRESIDENT KAMALA HARRIS AFTER INITIALLY REQUESTING A CHANGE OF TIME AND PLACE GIVEN THE CHANGE AT THE TOP OF THE DEMOCRATIC TICKET. 

TRUMP MAKING THE ANNOUNCEMENT DURING A NEWS CONFERENCE HELD AT HIS PALM BEACH ESTATE ON THURSDAY. 

ABC NEWS HAS CONFIRMED THAT TRUMP AND HARRIS HAVE AGREED TO DEBATE ON SEPTEMBER 10TH. 

THIS IS SETTING UP WHAT IS LIKELY TO BE A HIGH-STAKES SHOWDOWN IN AN ALREADY CONTENTIOUS ELECTION SEASON. 

TRUMP HAD PREVIOUSLY SUGGESTED HOLDING THREE DEBATES WITH THREE DIFFERENT TELEVISION NETWORKS NEXT MONTH. 

HIS DECISION TO DEBATE ON ABC MARKS A NOTABLE CHANGE OF HEART — 

GIVEN IT WAS JUST FIVE DAYS AGO, WHEN HE ANNOUNCED A TERMINATED AGREEMENT WITH ABC — AND SUGGESTED HE WOULD ONLY DEBATE IF HARRIS APPEARED ON FOX NEWS ON SEPTEMBER 4TH. 

TRUMP IS STILL REQUESTING HARRIS ACCEPT TWO ADDITIONAL DEBATE PROPOSALS — ONE WOULD BE HELD ON FOX AND THE OTHER ON NBC. 

WHEN ASKED BY REPORTERS IF HE WILL STILL DO THE ABC DEBATE EVEN IF HARRIS TURNS DOWN THE IDEA OF MULTIPLE DEBATES — 

TRUMP SAID HE DIDN’T KNOW HOW THAT’S GOING TO WORK — AND REITERATED THE NEED FOR MULTIPLE DEBATES WITH A NEW DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE. 

AS WE SAW IN JUNE — 

PRESIDENTIAL DEBATES HAVE HIGH STAKES. 

BIDEN’S PERFORMANCE SETTING IN MOTION CALLS FOR HIS WITHDRAWAL AND EVENTUAL END TO HIS RE-ELECTION CAMPAIGN. 

THE ABC DEBATE — WAS ORIGINALLY SLATED TO BE THE SECOND AND FINAL DEBATE BETWEEN BIDEN AND TRUMP — 

BUT NOW IT’S HARRIS AT THE PODIUM. 

HARRIS RELEASING A STATEMENT SAYING SHE’S GLAD TRUMP COMMITTED TO MEETING HER ON STAGE — JUST ONE MONTH AWAY. 

AND A QUICK LOOK AT THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL. 

TODAY YOU CAN EXPECT HARRIS IN ARIZONA FOR A CAMPAIGN RALLY. 

AND TRUMP WILL BE IN MONTANA FOR A RALLY AND FUNDRAISER EVENT.

IT’S BEEN NEARLY A MONTH SINCE THERE WAS AN ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT ON FORMER PRESIDENT TRUMP’S LIFE IN BUTLER PENNSYLVANIA. 

WITHIN THAT MONTH — 

THERE’S BEEN QUESTIONS SWIRLING — 

MULTIPLE INVESTIGATIONS AND HEARINGS ON CAPITOL HILL. 

AND A CHANGE IN LEADERSHIP AT THE TOP OF THE SECRET SERVICE. 

NOW — WE’RE GETTING NEW INFORMATION DIRECTLY THROUGH THE LENS OF BUTLER POLICE OFFICERS — 

FRANTICALLY RESPONDING TO REPORTS OF A THREAT ON TOP THE UNSECURED BUILDING WHERE THE SHOOTER PROPPED HIMSELF UP TO TAKE AIM. 

WHILE YOU CAN SEE THE MOMENTS LEADING UP TO THE SHOOTING — OFFICERS FRANTICALLY TRYING TO GET UP ON THE BUILDING 12 FEET HIGH — 

IT’S THE AUDIO IN THE IMMEDIATE AFTERMATH OF THE SHOOTING — THAT IS PROVIDING FURTHER CONFIRMATION — OF A MAJOR SECURITY LAPSE — 

FRUSTRATION. AND CONFUSION. IN THE OFFICER’S VOICES. 

“I TOLD THEM THEY NEED TO POST GUYS…I’D SAY THIS IS A F UP.” 

THE INCIDENT — LEADING TO ONE RALLY GOER DEAD AND TRUMP SHOT IN THE EAR IN A NEAR-FATAL HIT. 

THE PUBLIC SEARCH FOR ACCOUNTABILITY — 

HAS LED TO AGENCIES ACROSS LOCAL, STATE AND FEDERAL LEVELS TO FINGER-POINT AND SHIFT THE BLAME. 

THERE ARE STILL SEVERAL ONGOING INVESTIGATIONS INTO **HOW THIS HAPPENED IN THE FIRST PLACE — AND HOW TO PREVENT IT FROM HAPPENING AGAIN.

THE U-S, EGYPT, AND QATAR ARE CALLING FOR ISRAEL AND HAMAS TO RESUME CEASE-FIRE TALKS NEXT WEEK — CALLING THEM “URGENT” — AS FEARS GROW OVER A WIDENING MIDDLE EAST WAR FOLLOWING HIGH-PROFILE ASSASSINATIONS OF HAMAS AND HEZBOLLAH LEADERS. 

THE U-S, EGYPT, AND QATAR HAVE BEEN MEDIATING CEASE-FIRE DISCUSSIONS SINCE THEY BEGAN. 

THEY WANT THE TALKS TO TAKE PLACE IN EITHER DOHA OR CAIRO NEXT THURSDAY. 

EARLY FRIDAY — ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER BENJAMIN NETANYAHU INDICATED ISRAEL WILL TAKE PART IN THOSE DISCUSSION. 

HAMAS’ NEWLY-CHOSEN LEADER HAS NOT INDICATED IF THE TERROR GROUP IS WILLING TO JOIN. 

COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY IS THE LATEST COLLEGE FACING A WAVE OF OVERT ANTISEMITISM. 

THURSDAY — THE UNIVERSITY’S CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER’S NEW YORK HOME WAS VANDALIZED WITH RED PAINT AND NAZI AND HAMAS IMAGERY — AS WELL AS INSECTS. 

INVERTED TRIANGLES — WHICH ARE USED BY HAMAS TO IDENTIFY ISRAELI TARGETS AND NAZIS TO TAG PRISONERS DURING THE HOLOCAUST — WERE PAINTED ON THE ENTRANCEWAY TO CAS HOLLOWAY’S APARTMENT BUILDING. 

IT HAPPENED ON THE SAME DAY THREE OF THE UNIVERSITY’S TOP ADMINISTRATORS RESIGNED — OVER CONTROVERSIAL TEXTS. 

COLUMBIA CONFIRMING THE RESIGNATIONS OF THE SCHOOL’S DEAN OF UNDERGRADUATE STUDENT LIFE, ASSOCIATE DEAN FOR STUDENT AND FAMILY SUPPORT, AND VICE DEAN AND CHIEF ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICER AFTER IT CAME TO LIGHT THEY EXCHANGED ANTI-SEMITIC MESSAGES DURING AN ON-CAMPUS EVENT ABOUT JEWISH LIFE AT THE SCHOOL. 

MEDIA CONGLOMERATE PARAMOUNT IS LAYING OFF 15 PERCENT OF ITS U-S WORKFORCE. 

THE LAYOFFS — WHICH WILL IMPACT AROUND 2-THOUSAND STAFFERS — ARE PART OF PARAMOUNT’S BID TO CUT 500 MILLION DOLLARS IN ANNUAL COSTS AHEAD OF ITS MERGER WITH SKY-DANCE MEDIA. 

PARAMOUNT SAYS IT ALSO PLANS TO WRITE DOWN 6 BILLION DOLLARS’ WORTH OF ITS CABLE TELEVISION NETWORKS. 

THE US ADDING TO ITS OLYMPIC MEDAL COUNT ON THURSDAY. TEAM USA NOW WITH A TOTAL OF 103 MEDALS SO FAR AS THE PARIS GAMES WIND DOWN. 

THE MEN’S BASKETBALL TEAM WILL BE HOPING TO BRING HOME GOLD THIS WEEKEND AGAINST HOST FRANCE IN THE FINAL. STEPH CURRY, KEVIN DURANT AND LEBRON JAMES LEADING THE TEAM TO A COME-FROM-BEHIND VICTORY OVER SERBIA ON THURSDAY – AFTER BEING DOWN 17 POINTS — WINNING 95 TO 91. 

ON THE TRACK – IT WAS NOT THE RESULT AMERICAN SPRINTER NOAH LYLES WAS HOPING FOR IN THE MEN’S 200-METER FINAL. LYLES —  WHO WON HIS FIRST OLYMPIC GOLD ON SUNDAY IN THE 100-METERS — FINISHED THIRD THIS TIME– BEHIND LETSILE TEBOGO OF BOTSWANA AND USA TEAMMATE KENNY BEDNAREK.   

LYLES WAS TAKEN AWAY IN A WHEELCHAIR AFTER CROSSING THE FINISH LINE. AND LATER REVEALED HE HAD BEEN DIAGNOSED WITH COVID TWO DAYS EARLIER. 

THE USA TRACK AND FIELD ORGANIZATION SAYING IT FOLLOWED ALL OLYMPIC PROTOCOLS TO ALLOW LYLES TO COMPETE. 

THE TRACK STAR MEANWHILE SAYS HE IS PROUD OF HIMSELF TO HAVE BEEN ABLE TO STILL WIN A BRONZE MEDAL. LATER POSTING ON INSTAGRAM — “IT IS NOT THE OLYMPIC I DREAMED OF BUT IT HAS LEFT ME WITH SO MUCH JOY IN MY HEART.”