Fox News just attempted to drop an October bombshell on the 2024 presidential election… but their attempt was rebuffed.
Fox News extended an invitation to host a last minute presidential debate between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump, just as Americans were heading to the polls.
The proposed event, which could have served as an “October surprise” and shaken up polls in the last minute, was soundly rejected by Trump.
Fox News executives sent letters to both campaigns on Wednesday, offering to host the debate in Pennsylvania on either October 24 or 27.
The cable news network proposed a format mirroring previous debates hosted by CNN and ABC, with Bret Baier and Martha MacCallum as moderators.
“This would present an opportunity for each candidate to make his or her closing arguments,” wrote Fox News Media president & Executive Editor Jay Wallace and Vice President of Politics Jessica Loker in their pitch to the campaigns.
The proposed 90-minute debate would have featured only Baier and MacCallum asking questions, with candidates standing behind podiums without props or pre-written notes, and no live audience.
A coin flip would have determined podium placement and the order of closing statements.
Had Trump accepted, it could have been a game-changing moment in the campaign. A late October debate in the crucial swing state of Pennsylvania could have potentially altered the course of the election. The choice of Fox News as the host network added another layer of intrigue, given the complex relationship between Trump and the network.
However, any speculation about the debate’s potential impact was quickly put to rest.
Hours after the invitation was extended, Trump took to his social media platform, Truth Social, to emphatically reject the offer. In an all-caps message, the former president stated:
I WON THE LAST TWO DEBATES, ONE WITH CROOKED JOE, THE OTHER WITH LYIN’ KAMALA. I ACCEPTED THE FOX-NEWS INVITATION TO DEBATE KAMALA ON SEPTEMBER 4TH, BUT SHE TURNED IT DOWN. JD VANCE EASILY WON HIS DEBATE WITH TAMPON TIM WALZ, WHO CALLED HIMSELF A KNUCKLEHEAD! I AM ALSO LEADING IN THE POLLS, WITH THE LEAD GETTING BIGGER BY THE DAY – AND LEADING IN ALL SWING STATES. THE FIRST THING A PRIZEFIGHTER DOES WHEN HE LOSES A FIGHT IS SAY THAT HE “DEMANDS A REMATCH.” IT IS VERY LATE IN THE PROCESS, VOTING HAS ALREADY BEGUN – THERE WILL BE NO REMATCH! BESIDES, KAMALA STATED CLEARLY, YESTERDAY, THAT SHE WOULD NOT DO ANYTHING DIFFERENT THAN JOE BIDEN, SO THERE IS NOTHING TO DEBATE. THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION TO THIS MATTER! DONALD J. TRUMP
Trump’s rejection of the debate offer aligns with a front-runner strategy, avoiding risks associated with such high-stakes events late in the campaign.
The Harris campaign has not yet publicly responded to the Fox News invitation or Trump’s rejection. However, the Vice President’s willingness to participate in such a debate could have been seen as a last ditch attempt to revive her failing polls.