Republican vice-presidential nominee JD Vance and his Democratic counterpart, Tim Walz, are set to participate in a debate hosted by CBS on Oct. 1 after the Ohio senator accepted the invitation Thursday, a day after the Minnesota governor did the same.
Vance also said that he has accepted CNN鈥檚 invitation for a vice-presidential debate this fall. CNN has reached out to the Kamala Harris campaign for comment.
A CNN spokesperson said that the network had 鈥渋nvited both Senator Vance and Governor Walz to a Vice Presidential debate this fall, and Senator Vance has accepted. We are always in communication with the campaigns around opportunities for the American public to hear from leading candidates for President and Vice President of the United States, and we look forward to this programming in the fall.鈥�
Vance, whom Donald Trump named as his running mate last month, said on social media Thursday that he was 鈥渓ooking forward鈥� to both debates.
鈥淭he American people deserve as many debates as possible, which is why President Trump has challenged Kamala to three of them already. Not only do I accept the CBS debate on Oct. 1, I accept the CNN debate on Sept. 18 as well. I look forward to seeing you at both!鈥� he wrote.
Walz, who joined Harris on the Democratic ticket last week, accepted the CBS invitation in a social media post Wednesday: 鈥淪ee you on Oct. 1, JD.鈥�
CBS News offered the candidates two dates in September and two dates in October as options for a debate in New York City.
Speaking to reporters Thursday after a campaign stop outside Pittsburgh, Vance called for more debates while accusing Walz and his ticket mate Harris of running from 鈥渇rom every media interview.鈥�
鈥淚 think we ought to do as many debates as we possibly can,鈥� he said in New Kensington, Pennsylvania.
鈥淧resident Trump has invited Kamala Harris to do three debates. She鈥檚 only agreed to one. Tim Walz, I guess we agreed to do a debate on Oct. 1,鈥� the senator said. 鈥淐NN wants to do a debate in mid-September. And I said, 鈥榊es, absolutely,鈥� because the American people deserve it.鈥�
Harris and Trump have agreed to meet for a presidential debate on ABC on Sept.10. Trump has also agreed to debates on Fox News and NBC, while Harris has said she would be 鈥渉appy to have that conversation about an additional debate for after Sept. 10.鈥�
Asked by CNN about the rules for the vice-presidential debates, Vance said that his team didn鈥檛 鈥渞eally didn鈥檛 ask or require much.鈥�
鈥淲e just wanted to make sure that we had an opportunity to do a real exchange of views,鈥� Vance said. 鈥淚 told my staff, 鈥楢gree to whatever we have to agree to,鈥� because I think it鈥檚 important, again, to be able to stand before the American people and actually ask for their vote, not just pretend it鈥檚 going to be given to you.鈥�
In May, before President Joe Biden dropped out of the race, Harris accepted an invitation from CBS to debate Trump鈥檚 future running mate on either July 23 or Aug. 13. Trump said on his Truth Social platform at the time that his campaign had accepted an invitation for his future running mate to participate in a Fox News debate.Following Biden鈥檚 exit and Harris鈥� rapid ascension to the top of the Democratic ticket, Vance expressed disappointment that he wouldn鈥檛 get the chance to face off against Harris onstage.
鈥淚 was told I was gonna get to debate Kamala Harris, and now President Trump鈥檚 gonna get to debate her? I鈥檓 kind of pissed off about that, if I鈥檓 being honest with you,鈥� Vance said at a hometown rally in Middletown, Ohio, last month.
