Topline
Former President Donald Trump attacked Vice President Kamala Harris by deliberately misspelling her first name and claiming she was scared to debate him on Fox News, just days after he backed out of a presidential debate scheduled for September on ABC News.
Key Facts
In a post on his Truth Social platform Tuesday, Trump addressed the vice president as “Kamabla Harris,” a deliberate misspelling he started using on Monday, and claimed she is “afraid to Debate me on FoxNews.”
Trump also claimed Harris would be “easier to defeat on the Debate Stage” than President Joe Biden, adding “just watch!”
The post mocking the vice president was made minutes after Trump lashed out against ABC, the network that would have hosted the next presidential debate, calling it “fake news.”
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News Peg
In a series of posts earlier on Monday, Trump attacked Harris on various issues while repeatedly misspelling her name—a tactic he has used in the past to insult his opponents. The former president accused his Democratic opponent of trying to defund the police, ban fossil fuels and trigger an economic “depression.” Before that, Trump tried to blame the Biden-Harris administration for Monday’s global market slump, and even called it the “Kamala Crash.”
Key Background
Last week, Trump said he would not participate in the previously agreed ABC News debate against Harris and instead suggested moving it to Fox News, a network that is more friendly to him. The former president said he had originally agreed to face Biden in the September 10 debate and was no longer obligated to do so after the president dropped out of the race. Trump also cited his pending defamation suit against ABC as the second reason for dropping out. The Harris campaign mocked Trump, saying he was “running scared” and “running straight to Fox News to bail him out.”
What To Watch For
Harris’ campaign said the vice president intends to show up for the September 10 debate on ABC News despite Trump’s refusal to participate and she intends to “take the opportunity to speak to a prime time national audience.”
Further Reading
Trump Backs Out Of Debate And Proposes Another On Fox News—Harris Claims He’s ‘Running Scared’ (Forbes)
Trump Refuses To Debate Until Democrats Formally Decide Nominee—Harris Accuses Him Of Backpedaling (Forbes)