Are we shocked that President Kamala Harris declined to debate Donald Trump this week? After all, facing Trump on stage is no walk in the park, and Harris knows it. Trump, always up for a showdown, invited her to a debate hosted by Fox News.
She refused. Instead, she stuck to her September 10 debate schedule with ABC News. No extra debates for Kamala. Playing it safe, or is she just not ready to face the former president head-on?
Trump made sure to call her out for it during a town hall event with Fox News’s Sean Hannity. In typical Trump fashion, he didn’t hold back. Why would Harris avoid a debate? Well, according to Trump, it’s because she’s hiding her true agenda – especially when it comes to issues like fracking, which is critical for Pennsylvania voters.
From The Hill:
Trump repeatedly hammered Harris on the issue of fracking, something likely to be a focal point of his campaign in Pennsylvania moving forward…The former president entered the arena to thunderous applause and chants of “USA” and “Trump.”…
“But he is a weird guy,” he said of Walz. “He walks on the stage, and there is something wrong with that guy. And he called me weird, and then the fake news media picks it up, that’s the word of the day.”
Fracking Fumbles and Harris’s Flip-Flop
Fracking is a hot topic in Pennsylvania, and Trump zeroed in on Harris’s past statements during the town hall. In her 2020 presidential campaign, Harris was clear: she wanted to ban fracking.
That stance didn’t sit well with voters in the Keystone State, where fracking supports thousands of jobs. Since then, Harris has flip-flopped, now claiming she wouldn’t ban it if elected president.
Trump didn’t mince words: “Pennsylvania can’t take a chance that her answer is true.” He hammered home the importance of fracking, emphasizing that a ban would devastate local economies and kill jobs. He made it clear – voting for Trump means keeping fracking alive. Voting for Harris? That’s a gamble Pennsylvania can’t afford to take.
Big Media Bias? Trump Thinks So
In addition to calling out Harris, Trump took aim at ABC News, the network hosting the September debate. Trump has been skeptical of ABC’s fairness for a while, and he didn’t shy away from expressing his concerns. He called them “the most dishonest network” and accused them of being “mean” and “nasty.” No surprises there – Trump’s never been a fan of the mainstream media.
With ABC hosting the upcoming debate, Trump has already set expectations. He’s prepared for bias, and he’s not letting it slide. Conservatives know the drill: the deck is often stacked against them in the media. But Trump? He thrives in these situations, using the attacks to energize his base.
A Warm Welcome in Pennsylvania
While Harris dodges debates, Trump returned to Pennsylvania for the second time in a week. And the crowd? Electric. The audience treated Trump more like a rock star than a politician, cheering at every word and booing when Harris’s name came up. It was the kind of reception Harris can only dream of.
Trump knows Pennsylvania is crucial for winning the 2024 election. His opponent’s shaky stance on fracking is just one of many reasons why Trump believes the state will swing his way. He’s betting big on the support of the working class – and, judging by the enthusiasm in the crowd, it’s a bet that just might pay off.
Trump’s message is clear: no debates, no problem. He’s taking his case directly to the people, and Pennsylvania is listening.
Key Takeaways:
- Kamala Harris declined Donald Trump’s invitation to an additional debate, opting to stick with the scheduled September 10 event, drawing criticism from Trump for avoiding a direct confrontation.
- During a town hall with Sean Hannity, Trump attacked Harris’s past anti-fracking stance, warning Pennsylvania voters that a fracking ban would devastate the state’s economy.
- Trump also criticized ABC News for bias ahead of the upcoming debate, while enjoying enthusiastic support from a Pennsylvania audience, signaling his strong presence in the battleground state.
Source: The Hill
