Trump suggests he may skip debate, campaigns at odds over host, rules

[KARAH RUCKER]

THERE’S NEW UNCERTAINTY OVER WHETHER OR NOT WE WILL SEE FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP AND VICE PRESIDENT KAMALA HARRIS DEBATE HERE IN TWO WEEKS.

BOTH OF THEM HAVE COMMITTED TO A DEBATE HOSTED BY ABC ON SEPTEMBER 10.

BUT TRUMP IS RAISING RENEWED DOUBT OVER THE NETWORK IN CHARGE OF RUNNING IT –

AND IS SUGGESTING HE COULD PULL OUT OF DEBATE NIGHT –

AFTER WATCHING ABC’S SUNDAY MORNING SHOW –

WITH ABC’S JONATHAN KARL INTERVIEWING REPUBLICAN SENATOR TOM COTTON –

AT TIMES IN A HEATED DEBATE OF THEIR OWN.

[ABC INTERVIEW]

TOM COTTON: “She is not taking the far left positions of her party, she’s clearly making an effort to move to the middle.”

JONATHAN KARL: “When she campaigned for president in her own right, she did promise things like decriminalizing immigration and taking away health insurance for private jobs.”

COTTON: “I mean that’s a position she’s clearly changed on and said she changed on, no she hasn’t, yes she has, no john, she has not said that.”

KARL: “Do you agree that the presidential medal of freedom is better than the medal of honor, those are his words.”

COTTON: “John you are totally taking it out of context.”

[KARAH RUCKER]

TRUMP SAYING ON TRUTH SOCIAL  “I WATCHED ABC FAKE NEWS THIS MORNING, BOTH LIGHTWEIGHT REPORTER JONATHAN CARL’S RIDICULOUS AND BIASED INTERVIEW OF TOM COTTON – WHO WAS FANTASTIC – AND THEIR SO-CALLED PANEL OF TRUMP HATERS –

AND I ASK –

WHY WOULD I DO THE DEBATE AGAINST KAMALA HARRIS ON THAT NETWORK?”

HE GOES ON TO SAY – “STAY TUNED” –

SUGGESTING A POTENTIAL DEBATE SHAKE UP.

IT’S BEEN A STRUGGLE TO GET A DATE SOLIDIFIED BETWEEN THESE TWO CAMPAIGNS. 

WHEN PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN WAS STILL THE PARTY’S PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE –

TRUMP AND BIDEN HAD AGREED TO A SECOND DEBATE HOSTED BY ABC ON SEPTEMBER 10.

WHEN HARRIS TOOK OVER AT THE TOP OF THE TICKET –

SHE AGREED TO TAKE BIDEN’S PLACE FOR THAT DEBATE.

BUT TRUMP SAID HE HAD AGREED TO ABC’S DEBATE WITH BIDEN – NOT HARRIS.

AND WANTED A VENUE CHANGE.

THERE WAS A BACK AND FORTH BETWEEN THE CAMPS.

TRUMP WANTING TO MOVE THE DEBATE TO FOX NEWS.

HARRIS NOT BUDGING FROM ABC.

ULTIMATELY – TRUMP RE-COMMITTED TO ABC’S SEPTEMBER 10TH DATE.

NOT ONLY HAVE TRUMP AND HARRIS BEEN AT ODDS OVER WHO WOULD HOST THEIR DEBATE –

BUT APPARENTLY THE TWO ARE ALSO IN A DISPUTE OVER DEBATE RULES.

ACCORDING TO SOURCES WHO SPOKE WITH POLITICO AND CNN –

TRUMP’S CAMPAIGN WANTS MICS MUTED WHEN ITS NOT A CANDIDATE’S TURN TO SPEAK – AS IT WAS IN THE JUNE DEBATE WITH BIDEN.

HARRIS’ CAMPAIGN WANTS THE MICS HOT THE ENTIRE DEBATE.

BEFORE ANY SORT OF DEBATE HAPPENS –

THE TWO CANDIDATES CAN’T AGREE ON MUCH.

WHICH IS LIKELY WHAT WOULD PLAY OUT ON STAGE –

**IF THE TWO SHOW UP.