Trump recommits to a Sept. 10 debate and lashes out at Harris at news conference

PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Donald Trump recommitted to debating Vice President Kamala Harris after recently backing out, holding a lengthy news conference Thursday in which he taunted his new rival, boasted of his crowd on Jan. 6, 2021, and lashed out at questions about the enthusiasm her campaign has been generating.

As the Republican presidential nominee addressed reporters at his Palm Beach, Florida, estate, ABC announced that Trump and Harris, the Democratic nominee, have agreed to a Sept. 10 debate, setting up a widely anticipated faceoff in an already unparalleled election. Trump said he had proposed three debates with three television networks in September.

Trump again wrongly insisted there had been a “peaceful transfer” of power in 2021 and renewed attacks on Republican rivals like Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp, whom Trump has harshly criticized since Kemp refused to go along with his false theories of election fraud.

In taking questions from reporters for more than an hour, Trump tried to draw a contrast with Harris, who has not held a news conference since President Joe Biden's withdrawal from the race.

Trump's decision to go on ABC sets up a high-stakes moment in an election where Biden's catastrophic performance in the last debate set in motion his withdrawal.

Just five days earlier, he had declared he would not debate on ABC and said his agreement with the network had been “terminated.” He wrote on his social media site that if Harris wouldn’t appear on Fox News on Sept. 4 instead, “I won’t see her at all.”

On Thursday, he announced a change of heart — and tried to pressure Harris to agree to two more September debates on Fox and on NBC.

Asked what he will do if a Harris only agrees to the ABC debate, he said: “I don’t know how that’s gonna work out. We’d like to do three debates. We think we should do three debates.”

A few hours after the news conference, Harris told reporters she was "glad he has finally committed” to debate her on ABC on Sept. 10, the date that had originally been set for a Biden faceoff against Trump and which her campaign has long stuck to.

“I'm looking forward to it and hope he shows up,” she said.

Thursday's event was Trump's first public appearance since Harris selected Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her running mate. Trump called Walz a “radical left man.”

“Between her and him, there’s never been anything like this,” Trump said. “There’s certainly never been anybody so liberal like these two.”

He repeatedly suggested Harris was not intelligent enough to debate him. Harris, for her part, has tried to goad Trump into debating and told an audience in Atlanta recently that if he had anything to say about her, he should " say it to my face.”

Trump grew visibly perturbed when pressed on Harris’ crowds and newfound Democratic enthusiasm, dismissing a question about his lighter campaign schedule as “stupid.”

Trump says he has not “recalibrated” his campaign despite facing a new opponent, a dynamic some Republican strategists have quietly complained about.

When asked what assets Harris possessed, Trump said: “She’s a woman. She represents certain groups of people.”

Trump has repeatedly — and falsely — accused Harris, the daughter of Jamaican and Indian immigrants, of previously downplaying that she is Black.

Trump recognized some changing patterns with his new opponent, acknowledging he may not be as popular with Black women, one of Democrats’ key voting blocs. He expressed a lot of confidence in his support from Black men.

“It could be I’ll be affected somewhat with Black females but we’re really doing well,” he said. “And I think ultimately they’ll like me better because I’m going to give them security, safety and jobs. I’m going to give them a good economy.”

Trump campaign officials told reporters ahead of the news conference they believe Harris is currently enjoying a honeymoon period.

They argued the fundamentals of the race have not changed and the mood of the country remains sour, with Americans frustrated by the state of the economy, the administration and the country’s directions. They say that while Harris has energized the Democratic base, she will not be able to win over Republicans or convert independents or the persuadable voters they are focused on targeting.

Trump’s campaign plans to spend the next three months hammering Harris as “failed, weak and dangerously liberal,” blaming her for every one of the the Biden administration’s unpopular policies and mocking her mannerisms and speaking style.

Trump suggested abortion will not be a major issue in the campaign and the outcome in November.

He insisted that the matter “has become much less of an issue” since the Supreme Court ended the federal constitutional right to abortion services and returned control of the matter to state governments. But the issue is widely seen as a general election liability, and Trump named states such as Ohio and Kansas that have since voted to protect abortion rights.

Trump also said he expected Florida “will go in a little more liberal way than people thought” when it votes to repeal an abortion ban later this year, but he did not respond to questions asking how he would vote.

Trump argued that Democrats, Republicans and “everybody” are pleased with the results of the 2022 ruling that overturned the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision.

Trump’s actions within the GOP, however, suggest he knows that Democrats already have capitalized on Republican opposition to abortion rights and could do so again this fall. Trump single-handedly ensured that the Republican Party platform adopted at the 2024 convention in Milwaukee does not call for a national ban on abortion, and he has said repeatedly that hardliners in the party could cost the GOP in November.

The court’s decision, issued months ahead of the 2022 midterm elections, is widely cited as a reason that Democrats fared much better than expected in House and Senate contests. And Democrats have hammered Trump in paid advertisements blaming him and the justices he appointed for ending Roe.

Trump falsely claimed during the press conference that “nobody was killed on Jan. 6,” the date in 2021 when pro-Trump rioters breached the U.S. Capitol amid Congress’ effort to certify Biden's 2020 election victory after Trump refused to concede.

Ashli Babbitt, a 35-year-old Air Force veteran from San Diego was shot and killed by a police officer as she climbed through a broken part of a Capitol door during the violent riot that breached the building.

To be sure, Trump has often cited Babbitt’s death while lamenting the treatment of those who first attended a rally outside the White House that day, then marched to the Capitol, many of whom fought with police and entered the building.

“I think those people were treated very badly. When you compare it to other things that took place in this country where a lot of people were killed,” Trump said Thursday.

He also falsely claimed more people attended his speech at a “Stop the Steal” rally before the riot than the famous March on Washington in 1963, the iconic event at which Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. gave his “I Have a Dream” speech.

Trump was asked about Biden's comments in a CBS interview that he was “not confident” there would be a peaceful transfer of power if Trump were to lose.

“He should have brought this up at the debate if he had a problem. Of course there'll be a peaceful transfer, and there was last time.”

Associated Press writers Will Weissert in Washington and Darlene Superville in Romulus, Mich. contributed to this report.

Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump speaks to reporters during a news conference at his Mar-a-Lago estate Thursday, Aug. 8, 2024, in Palm Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump speaks to reporters during a news conference at his Mar-a-Lago estate Thursday, Aug. 8, 2024, in Palm Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump speaks to reporters during a news conference at his Mar-a-Lago estate Thursday, Aug. 8, 2024, in Palm Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump arrives to speak to reporters at his Mar-a-Lago estate Thursday, Aug. 8, 2024, in Palm Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump speaks to reporters at his Mar-a-Lago estate Thursday, Aug. 8, 2024, in Palm Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump speaks to reporters at his Mar-a-Lago estate Thursday, Aug. 8, 2024, in Palm Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump speaks to reporters during a news conference at his Mar-a-Lago estate Thursday, Aug. 8, 2024, in Palm Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump speaks to reporters at his Mar-a-Lago estate Thursday, Aug. 8, 2024, in Palm Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump speaks to reporters during a news conference at his Mar-a-Lago estate Thursday, Aug. 8, 2024, in Palm Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump listens to a question as he speaks to reporters during a news conference at his Mar-a-Lago estate Thursday, Aug. 8, 2024, in Palm Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris is welcomed by running mate Democratic vice presidential nominee Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz before she delivers remarks at a campaign rally in Eau Claire, Wis., Wednesday, Aug. 7, 2024. (Kerem Yücel/Minnesota Public Radio via AP)

Trump will hold a news conference in his first public appearance since rival Harris picked Walz

Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump speaks at a campaign rally at Georgia State University in Atlanta, Saturday, Aug. 3, 2024. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)

Trump will hold a news conference in his first public appearance since rival Harris picked Walz

OAKS, Pa. (AP) — Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump took their fight for Pennsylvania to opposite ends of the state Monday, with Harris speaking in the northwest corner in Erie and Trump in the southeastern suburbs of Philadelphia.

Democrat Harris and Republican Trump have been making regular appearances in what is the country's largest battleground state — it was Harris' 10th visit to Pennsylvania this campaign season, and just last week Trump made stops in both Scranton and Reading.

Harris at an evening campaign rally homed in on Trump’s comments over the weekend suggesting that the U.S. military could potentially be used to deal with “the enemy from within."

She argued that the comments made in a Fox News “Sunday Morning Futures” interview are the latest example of threatening rhetoric from the former president that should concern Americans about what a potential second Trump term could look like.

“He considers anyone who doesn’t support him or who will not bend to his will an enemy of our country,” Harris said after playing a clip of the comment on the jumbo screen in the Erie arena. “This is among the reasons I believe so strongly that a second Trump term would be a huge risk for America and dangerous."

She added that Trump is increasingly displaying “unstable and unhinged” behavior.

Trump made the comment in response to a question about “outside agitators” potentially disrupting Election Day, pivoting to what he said is a foe closer to home.

“I think the bigger problem is the enemy from within,” Trump said. He added: “We have some very bad people. We have some sick people, radical left lunatics. And I think they’re the big — and it should be very easily handled by, if necessary, by National Guard, or if really necessary, by the military, because they can’t let that happen.”

Trump's running mate, Sen. JD Vance, defended Trump’s comments during a campaign stop in Minneapolis earlier Monday.

“Is it a justifiable use of those assets if they’re rioting and looting and burning cities down to the ground? Of course it is. Right?” Vance told reporters. “I think the question is, is it a justifiable use of assets, depends on what’s actually happening.”

Trump beat Hillary Clinton by more than 40,000 votes in Pennsylvania on his way to winning the presidency in 2016. But Joe Biden, a Scranton native, beat Trump by about 80,000 votes in the state four years ago.

Harris' called Erie a “pivot” area for her campaign, a Democratic-majority city of about 94,000 people bordered by suburbs and rural areas with significant numbers of Republicans. Erie County is often cited as one of the state's reliable bellwether regions, where the electorate has a decidedly moderate voting record. Trump visited Erie on Sept. 29.

Harris also talked up early voting during her rally. Mail-in voting is well underway in the state where some 7 million people are likely to cast votes in the presidential race.

“If you have already received your ballot in the mail, please do not wait,” Harris urged her supporters. “Fill it out and return it today or tomorrow. But please get it out.”

Beforehand, she stopped by a newly opened coffee shop and record store in Erie as she continues to press her case for Black men’s support.

The visit to LegendErie Records and Coffee House, a Black-owned small business, came after her campaign unveiled a plan earlier Monday to give Black men more economic opportunities and other chances. The campaign is trying to step up outreach to Black men, a key voting bloc that has some Democrats concerned about a possible lack of enthusiasm.

Trump spoke at a town hall Monday in suburban Oaks. Responding to a man who said his dream of homeownership feels out of reach, Trump said regulations make it too expensive to build in some places. He repeated his pledge to increase U.S. oil drilling, which he said would drive down costs, though domestic production is already at record highs.

“We’re going to drill baby drill, we’re going to have so much energy and we’re going to bring prices down,” Trump said.

He also claimed that government data from crime statistics to jobless numbers is “fake," alleging the numbers are manipulated to help the incumbent Democrats.

Trump cut short his remarks after twice being interrupted by medical emergencies, turning the town hall into a concert instead. After the second incident, Trump spoke for a few more minutes and then called for music. He then stood onstage — at times swaying along — as music played.

Trump rallygoer Tom Bonanno said he believed there was greater enthusiasm for Trump this year than in the former president's two previous campaigns.

”I’m feeling a shift because the economy affects everyone," Bonanno said. "It’s not just going to be on, you’re feeling joy or happiness or whatever they’re running on. It’s about the economy once again.”

Pennsylvania and its 19 electoral votes, the most of any swing state, have generated the most attention by far from the Democratic and Republican presidential campaigns. Including Monday’s scheduled events, they will have made 46 stops in the state, according to Associated Press tracking of the campaigns’ public events.

Michigan, with 33 visits, and Wisconsin, with 29, are the next most-visited states, illustrating how both campaigns are focusing on winning states that had been part of the Democrats’ so-called “blue wall” until Trump emerged as the Republican standard-bearer.

Democrats have won three straight elections for Pennsylvania governor, and both current U.S. senators are Democrats, but the state's legislature is closely divided.

Cindy Sunday, 67, of Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, said she has been disappointed that the Biden administration undid some of Trump’s policies on the U.S.-Mexico border.

“I don’t care that people say ‘he says things that are off color, and this and that.’ Get over that," said Sunday, who went to Trump's rally in Oaks. "There are so many more serious things in life to be upset about. I just don’t go for that.”

Scolforo reported from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania and Weissert from Erie, Pennsylvania. Associated Press journalists Tassanee Vejpongsa in Oaks, Pennsylvania, Aamer Madhani in Washington and Jonathan J. Cooper in Phoenix contributed to this report.

Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris speaks during a campaign rally at Erie Insurance Arena, in Erie, Pa., Monday, Oct. 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump watches as South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem dances to the song "Y.M.C.A." at a campaign town hall at the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center & Fairgrounds, Monday, Oct. 14, 2024, in Oaks, Pa. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris speaks during a campaign rally at Erie Insurance Arena, in Erie, Pa., Monday, Oct. 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris speaks during a campaign rally at Erie Insurance Arena, in Erie, Pa., Monday, Oct. 14, 2024.(AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris, left, participates in a roundtable discussion with Black men during a visit to Legenderie Records and Coffee House, a Black-owned small business in Erie, Pa., during a campaign stop, Monday, Oct. 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump arrives at a campaign town hall at the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center & Fairgrounds, Monday, Oct. 14, 2024, in Oaks, Pa. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump listens at a campaign town hall at the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center & Fairgrounds, Monday, Oct. 14, 2024, in Oaks, Pa. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris, right, greets Ishmael Trainor, owner of Legenderie Records and Coffee House, a Black-owned small business in Erie, Pa., during a campaign stop, Monday, Oct. 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris waves as she arrives to board Air Force Two at Joint Base Andrews, Md., Monday, Oct. 14, 2024, en route to Pennsylvania. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

Harris and Trump will both campaign in battleground Pennsylvania on Monday

Harris and Trump will both campaign in battleground Pennsylvania on Monday

FILE - This combination of photos shows Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump, left, and Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris during an ABC News presidential debate at the National Constitution Center, Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File)