CNN has shifted course after former President Donald Trump ruled out any more presidential debates by inviting both Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris to participate in town hall events with voters. Harris immediately accepted the invitation and will participate in a live, televised town hall on October 23 in Pennsylvania. The town halls will take place before a live audience of persuadable and undecided voters from Pennsylvania, providing an opportunity for both candidates to share their vision for the country.
Despite the initial proposal for a debate between Harris and Trump in Atlanta on October 23, Trump repeatedly shrugged off the idea, leading to CNN extending separate invitations for town hall events to both candidates. With a Thursday deadline for a response approaching, Fox News also offered to host its own debate in Pennsylvania on October 24 or 27. Trump unequivocally stated that there would be no rematch and claimed he had won the last two debates, citing a previous invitation to a September 4 debate that Harris did not accept.
Trump’s refusal to participate in further debates led CNN to move on and seek to hold town hall events with both candidates. Despite Trump’s assertion that it is too late for a rematch with Harris, CNN’s proposed date was in line with final debates in other recent election cycles. Additionally, Univision, the country’s leading Spanish-language network, is broadcasting its own town hall events with Harris on Thursday night and with Trump on October 16, providing another opportunity for both candidates to engage with voters.
The offer of town hall events comes after Trump’s decision to forego additional debates with Harris, instead opting to interact with voters in a different format. CNN’s invitation to both candidates to participate in separate town hall events provides an opportunity for voters to hear from the two major candidates for President of the United States and gain insight into their vision for the future of the country. Harris has welcomed the opportunity to engage with voters and share her perspective, while Trump has firmly stated that there will be no rematch and claimed victory in previous debates.
The decision to host town hall events with both candidates comes after Trump’s definitive refusal to participate in any more debates with Harris. CNN and Fox News both extended invitations for debates, which Trump declined, leading to the shift towards town hall events as a way to engage with voters and provide a platform for the candidates to connect with persuadable and undecided voters. With Univision also hosting town hall events with both candidates, the upcoming weeks will offer multiple opportunities for voters to hear directly from Trump and Harris as they outline their plans for the country.
Overall, the shift to town hall events comes as a result of Trump’s refusal to engage in further debates with Harris and the subsequent invitations extended by CNN and Fox News. Despite Trump’s claims of victory in previous debates and his assertion that it is too late for a rematch, both candidates now have the opportunity to connect with voters in a live, televised format. Moving forward, these town hall events will provide a platform for Trump and Harris to share their visions for the country and engage with persuadable and undecided voters in the lead-up to Election Day.
