Harris says she's ready to debate Trump, accuses him of 'backpedaling'

Vice President Harris said Thursday she's "ready to go" for a debate with former President Trump and needled her likely GOP rival after he has suggested he may not want to participate in an event hosted by ABC News, as previously planned.

“You have been asking me about the debate, and I'll tell you I'm ready to debate Donald Trump," Harris told reporters after arriving back in Washington from a two-day trip to Indiana and Texas.

"I have agreed to the previously agreed upon Sept. 10 debate. He agreed to that previously," Harris said. "Now, here he is backpedaling, and I'm ready, and I think the voters deserve to see the split screen that exists in this race on a debate stage, and so I'm ready. Let's go."

Trump told reporters Tuesday he would “absolutely” debate Harris — the likely Democratic nominee after President Biden stepped aside — at least once before Election Day.

But he blasted ABC News, the planned host for the scheduled Sept. 10 presidential debate.

“I have at least equal say, and I don’t like the idea of ABC,” Trump told reporters on a press call. “I would be willing to do more than one debate, actually.”

Trump added that he had not “agreed to anything” as far as a debate with Harris.

“I agreed to a debate with Joe Biden. But I want to debate her,” he said. “They have the same policies. I think debating is important for a presidential race.”

Trump and Biden agreed to two debates, with one on June 27 and the other on Sept. 10. Biden’s disastrous performance in the June debate sparked calls from Democrats for him to step aside as the nominee, which he did on Sunday in the face of mounting pressure.

Harris has secured the support of enough delegates to be the likely nominee for Democrats. The Democratic convention will take place Aug. 19-22 in Chicago.