Trump to participate in Fox News town hall after debate doesn't materialize

Former President Trump said late Monday he would participate in a tele-town hall hosted by Fox News next month instead of a debate on the network after the Harris campaign made clear the vice president would not participate.

"Rather than the debate on September 4th, I have agreed to do a Tele-Town Hall, anchored by Sean Hannity, for Fox. It will take place in the Great Commonwealth of Pennsylvania - Details to follow!" Trump posted on Truth Social.

Trump said he was "not surprised" that Harris would not agree to a debate on Fox News, arguing it was "very difficult, at best, for her to defend her record setting Flip-Flopping on absolutely everything she once believed in."

The Harris campaign said last week it would participate in a total of three debates this election season: two presidential debates and one vice presidential debate.

The vice president and Trump have agreed to hold a debate on Sept. 10 hosted by ABC News. The Harris campaign has said it would consider a second presidential debate in October after the Sept. 10 showdown happens. The two sides have also agreed to a vice presidential debate, between Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio) and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D), on Oct. 1.

Trump had previously accepted two other proposed debates, one on Sept. 4 on Fox News and another on Sept. 25 on NBC News. 

Initially, Trump had agreed to two debates with President Biden: June 27 and Sept. 10. But Biden’s disastrous performance in the June debate triggered calls for him to step aside as the Democratic nominee, which he did in late July.