Trump campaign refuses to commit to VP debate until Democrats settle their ticket
Washington DC - The campaign for Republican candidate Donald Trump is refusing to commit to participating in a vice presidential debate until Democrats decide on who is running on their ticket.
On Wednesday, the Trump campaign issued a statement explaining that they can't agree to the event as they are uncertain of who will ultimately be on the Democratic ticket.
"We don’t know who the Democrat nominee for Vice President is going to be, so we can’t lock in a date before their convention," Trump campaign adviser Brian Hughes wrote.
"To do so would be unfair to Gavin Newsom, JB Pritzker, Gretchen Whitmer, or whoever Kamala Harris picks as her running mate," he added.
Their remarks come as numerous prominent politicians and celebrities have been calling for President Joe Biden, Trump's Democratic rival, to drop out of the race over concerns about his age and ability to win.
Trump recently picked Ohio Senator JD Vance to be his running mate.
Republicans have long asserted that Harris, Biden's VP, will eventually take over the party to run the 2024 race – but there has been no indication that it is being discussed as a real option.
Biden has aggressively refused to drop out, leaving the Democratic Party in a scramble, as the Republican Party continues to thrive.
Biden's campaign responds to inflammatory Trump campaign remarks
In response to the Trump campaign remarks, the Biden campaign issued a statement, arguing that their rivals are backing down because of Vance's extreme agenda, particularly on the subject of abortion.
"Now suddenly right after a damning new leak showing his support for a nationwide abortion ban, Vance is backing off a debate against Vice President Harris, who has spent the last two years prosecuting the case on behalf of reproductive freedom," the campaign wrote.
"This debate has been discussed for two months now," the statement added. "If JD Vance is unwilling to defend the Trump-Vance record on the debate stage, he should just say so."
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