Harris campaign says Trump is 'running scared' as he backs out of ABC debate, pushes for Fox News

Former President Donald Trump announced he has agreed to participate in a presidential debate against Kamala Harris — only on a different day and on a more MAGA-friendly network than what he previously committed to.

Following days of uncertainty about whether the Republican candidate would join the presumptive Democratic nominee for the second televised debate ahead of November’s election, Trump took to his social media platform late Friday night to say he’s more than willing to go head-to-head with his rival.

However, the rules will have to change.

“I have agreed with Fox News to debate Kamala Harris on Wednesday, Sept. 4,” Trump wrote, disregarding previous plans agreed upon by both campaigns earlier this year, which had the second debate hosted by ABC News on Sept. 10.

That debate, originally scheduled to be against President Joe Biden, “has been terminated” since his former opponent “will no longer be a participant,” Trump said.

Biden ended his tumultuous bid for reelection on July 21, less than a month after his disastrous performance during the first presidential debate.

Additionally, Trump said a debate on ABC News would create a “conflict of interest,” since the former president is currently suing the network and George Stephanopoulos for defamation over the anchor’s assertion a jury found Trump had “raped” E. Jean Carroll.

On Saturday, a spokesman for the Harris campaign slammed Trump’s announcement as a sign the twice-impeached president is “running scared,” as recent polling numbers suggest a dramatic shift in favor of the de facto Democratic nominee.

Trump is “trying to back out of the debate he already agreed to and running straight to Fox News to bail him out,” said Harris campaign communications director Michael Tyler in a statement Saturday morning.

“He needs to stop playing games and show up to the debate he already committed to,” Tyler said. “Mr. Anytime, Anywhere, Anyplace should have no problem with that unless he’s too scared to show up on the 10th.”

But with or without Trump, Harris will be at the Sept. 10 debate “to take the opportunity to speak to a prime-time national audience,” Tyler promised.

Sources told CNN Saturday that ABC News is indeed planning to provide airtime to whoever shows up, even if that ends up being only Harris.

Harris’ team is also open to discussing other debates in the future, Tyler noted, but only “after the one both campaigns have already agreed to.”

Trump responded Saturday afternoon, calling “Crazy Kamala” a “low-IQ individual who cannot compete with the leaders of other countries.”

“Kamala Harris doesn’t have the mental capacity to do a REAL debate against me, scheduled for Sept. 4 in Pennsylvania,” he rambled on Truth social. “I’ll see her on Sept. 4 or I won’t see her at all.”