Harris accepts debate invite to face off with Trump’s VP pick, which may come at convention

WASHINGTON (AP) — Vice President Kamala Harris has accepted an invitation from CBS News to debate former President Donald Trump’s vice presidential pick this summer, the Biden campaign said Thursday, as the Republican said he might wait until his party’s convention in July to announce his selection.

Harris’ team told the network she would debate in-studio on Tuesday, July 23, or Tuesday, August 13, and encouraged the Trump campaign to agree to one of the dates for his eventual vice presidential pick. The Trump campaign didn’t immediately comment on the debate invite.

Trump, in an interview with TMJ4 taped from New York, said there was “a pretty good chance” he would announce his vice presidential pick at the GOP convention in Milwaukee, which begins on July 15, rather than before.

“I don’t say anything is 100%, but you’re getting pretty close,” he was quoted saying. “I’ll be doing it in Milwaukee. We’re going to have a great time.”

The announcement comes after President Joe Biden and Trump agreed to two debates this summer to be hosted by CNN on June 27 and ABC on Sept. 10.

The debates are not expected to take place before live audiences — a key demand of the Biden campaign that contributed to its decision to ditch the debates organized by the nonpartisan Commission on Presidential Debates, which had organized every presidential and vice presidential general election debate since 1988.

Zeke Miller And Jill Colvin, The Associated Press