Thundering Across The Tundra

Trump tries to wrestle attention back from Harris and highlight her lack of taking reporter questions with an hour-long meandering presser @ShaneGoldmacher @jonathanvswan me https://t.co/q5t2oF81Kp

— Maggie Haberman (@maggieNYT) August 8, 2024

Context first, as always.

Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump said Thursday he has agreed to three debates in September against his Democratic rival, Kamala Harris, on three different news networks. https://t.co/QK0QSqCgS5 pic.twitter.com/y1NrZECiRc

— CNBC (@CNBC) August 8, 2024

Trump says he agreed to do three debates, one on Fox Sept. 4, NBC Sept. 10 and ABC Sept. 25. The ABC one was previously agreed to by both parties (it’s supposed to be Sept. 10) and Harris has said she will do that one.

— Kaitlan Collins (@kaitlancollins) August 8, 2024

A different date than what Trump just said - he appears to have gotten the dates wrong - and ABC is him agreeing to something that already was in progress not a new proposal. https://t.co/1AoEeVKLNy

— Maggie Haberman (@maggieNYT) August 8, 2024

Debate state of play:

ABC confirms both campaigns have agreed to a Harris-Biden matchup on Sept. 10. It's on!

NBC is in discussions with both campaigns about a potential debate, including Sept. 25.

Trump says he'll do a Fox debate Sept. 4. Harris campaign has not agreed.

— Michael M. Grynbaum (@grynbaum) August 8, 2024

Vice President Harris: I'm glad Donald Trump finally agreed to debate. I'm looking forward to it. I hope he shows up pic.twitter.com/W14KtGcVS8

— Kamala HQ (@KamalaHQ) August 8, 2024

Basically, we’re at the same place we were when Trump declared he had agreed with himself to debate on Fox but not ABC. Except Trump wilted like a hot house flower and will now do ABC. And Harris has accepted his surrender.

Other than that, this situation has all the reality of St. Alphonso’s Pancake Breakfast. “Where I stole the margarine.🧈 “