A statement from the Trump campaign has revealed that former President Donald Trump’s running mate, Sen. JD Vance (R-OH), does not plan to schedule a vice presidential debate before the Democratic National Convention (DNC) takes place, citing uncertainty over who will actually be the Democrats’ vice-presidential nominee.
Speculation over President Joe Biden’s reelection efforts has grown in recent months, as many have predicted that the president would drop out of the race due to his severe cognitive and physical decline. These questions were amplified following the first presidential debate, where Biden’s cognitive deficiencies were so obvious to the American people that Democrats finally began calling for his replacement.
Thus, many are unsure whether Vice President Kamala Harris would be taking over the top spot on the ticket, or even taking over the presidency if Biden were to step down. While Biden has repeatedly insisted that he would not be dropping out, many still believe that there is a significant chance — especially after Biden was conveniently diagnosed with COVID on July 17, soon after he remarked that he would only leave the White House if his doctor advised him to.
With all of these concerns, senior Trump campaign adviser Brian Hughes issued a statement arguing that it would “be unfair” to schedule a date for the vice-presidential debate before the August 19 DNC. He specifically argued that planning a debate would be unfair to people like California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D), Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker (D), Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D) and Harris — essentially calling them out for potentially vying for the vice presidency behind the scenes.
“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. To do so would be unfair to Gavin Newsom, JB Pritzker, Gretchen Whitmer, or whoever Kamala Harris picks as her running mate,” the statement read.
NEW: Trump campaign responds re: Vice Presidential debates.
“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. To do so would be unfair to Gavin Newsom, JB Pritzker, Gretchen Whitmer, or whoever Kamala…
— Bill Melugin (@BillMelugin_) July 17, 2024
Polls have shown that Trump is leading in hypothetical matches with all of these potential candidates if they were to replace Biden.
CNN Post-debate Poll
Trump 49% (+6)
Biden 43%Trump 47% (+2)
Harris 45%Trump 48% (+5)
Newsom 43%Trump 47% (+4)
Buttigieg 43%Trump 47% (+5)
Whitmer 42% pic.twitter.com/w2qWIux6HE— Election Wizard (@ElectionWiz) July 3, 2024
Regardless, many have also pointed out the very likely outcome of a potential debate between Harris and Vance — a clear victory for the Republican, as Harris is widely known for her verbal gaffes, which have been deemed “word salads.” If the vice-presidential debate does happen between Vance and Harris, it will likely be scheduled within hours of the DNC next month.
The 2024 VP Face-Off@JackPosobiec and @RaheemKassam share their expectations for the vice presidential debate between JD Vance and Kamala Harris.
Watch LIVE➡ https://t.co/aeKhZCut0M
Watch our all day coverage LIVE from the RNC Convention here: https://t.co/kOXnUGtVsz pic.twitter.com/WYGJY4wedv
— Real America's Voice (RAV) (@RealAmVoice) July 16, 2024
