Harris accepts CNN invitation to second US election debate, urges Trump to join

WASHINGTON - US Vice President Kamala Harris has accepted an invitation from CNN to participate in a debate on Oct 23 and hopes Republican rival Donald Trump will face her again less than two weeks ahead of the Nov 5 presidential election, the Democratic candidate’s campaign said on Sept 21.

“Vice-President Harris is ready for another opportunity to share a stage with Donald Trump, and she has accepted CNN’s invitation to a debate on Oct 23. Donald Trump should have no problem agreeing to this debate,” Ms Jen O’Malley Dillon, the chair of the Harris campaign, said in a statement.

The Trump campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Ms Harris and Trump

debated each other for the first time

on Sept 10, in a contest that polls showed was won by the Democratic nominee.

Trump last week said

he would not participate in another debate against Ms Harris

before the election.

“THERE WILL BE NO THIRD DEBATE!” the former president wrote on his social media site Truth Social on Sept 19.

Trump debated President Joe Biden in June before his matchup against Ms Harris.

Mr Biden’s

shaky performance in that debate

rattled Democrats and prompted strategists to ask whether their party should take the unprecedented step of replacing the 81-year old president as their candidate.

Mr Biden

withdrew from the race

for the White House in July. REUTERS