Kamala Harris challenges Trump: Debate showdown heats up

US Vice President Kamala Harris has announced that she is ready for a televised debate with Donald Trump. She criticised him for attempting to back out of earlier agreements regarding such a debate, which was to be held on ABC News on 10 September.

The debate on 10 September was supposed to be the second showdown between Trump and President Joe Biden, who announced on Sunday that he would not seek re-election.

In a teleconference on Tuesday, Trump told reporters that he would join the debate with the vice president and is willing to participate in more than one such showdown. He assessed that it would be easier to defeat Kamala Harris than Biden.

Trump demands that the debate be moved from ABC News to the Republican-leaning Fox News.

"Donald Trump agreed to this already. Then he tried to back out, but I am here and waiting. I think voters deserve to see the clear divide that exists in this race. And yes, I am ready for it," Harris said during a brief meeting with journalists.

Also on Thursday, Treasury Secretary and former Federal Reserve (Fed) Chair Janet Yellen endorsed Harris's candidacy, stating that the vice president "would maintain the United States' leadership on global issues."

Yellen said Harris deeply "understands what's necessary and why it is important to restore U.S. leadership on the global stage and she's been a critical part of that effort."

According to a new CNN poll by the American firm SSRS, Trump currently has 49 percent of voter support. Voting for Kamala Harris has been declared by 46 percent of respondents.

CNN highlights that this is a more balanced competition than the previous poll in the Biden-Trump showdown.