Trump is holding a news conference in his first public appearance since rival Harris picked Walz
Aug 8, 2024, 5:16 AM | Updated: 6:08 pm
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)
Credit: ASSOCIATED PRESS
(AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Former President Donald Trump is holding a news conference Thursday at Mar-a-Lago, his Florida beachside compound, making his first public appearance since Vice President Kamala Harris became the Democratic presidential nominee and selected Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her running mate.
Trump announced the 2 p.m. EDT event on his Truth Social network and posted that he was eager to debate Harris.
He had teased an announcement about the presidential debate earlier this week after pulling out of an ABC News debate scheduled for Sept. 10. Trump had said he would prefer that Fox News sponsor the debate, but on Wednesday was showing willingness to reconsider ABC.
“I will expose Kamala during the Debate the same way I exposed Crooked Joe, Hillary, and everyone else during Debates,” he said on Truth Social, referring to Democrats Joe Biden and Hillary Clinton. “Only I think Kamala will be easier.”
Trump’s running mate, Ohio Sen. JD Vance, has criticized Harris for not holding a news conference or sitting down for interviews since Biden stepped aside from his presidential reelection campaign and she launched her White House campaign. Harris sometimes answers shouted questions while boarding or leaving her plane for campaign stops.
Harris has a traveling press pool with her on Air Force Two for all trips. Trump does not have a set traveling press pool that regularly accompanies him on his plane when he goes out to campaign.
Vance has journalists flying with him, and he campaigned this week in states where Harris and Walz had their own events scheduled. That included on Wednesday, when Vance’s plane and Air Force Two ended up on the same tarmac in Wisconsin. Vance started walking toward the Democrats’ plane but did not reach it before a motorcade carrying Harris, Walz and the traveling press pulled away. ___
Associated Press writer Will Weissert in Washington contributed to this report.
