New ads calling Trump 'afraid to debate' to follow him on campaign trail

New ads calling Trump 'afraid to debate' to follow him on campaign trail

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New ads calling Trump 'afraid to debate' to follow him on campaign trail

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(Reuters) - The Democratic National Committee's newest advertising campaign, launched on Friday, taunt Republican rival Donald Trump for not committing to a debate with Kamala Harris and is set to follow him on the campaign trail.

The DNC has purchased large ads that dominate the digital homepages of major local newspapers in states where Trump plans to campaign in the coming weeks. The ads say "the convicted felon is afraid to debate" and question whether that is due to his stance on abortion.

The first ads are running on the Atlanta Journal Constitution's homepage ahead of Trump's visit to the Georgia capital on Saturday and the ad campaign will follow him through local news outlets at each rally stop, the DNC said.

Trump emerged a clear victor from his June 27 debate with President Joe Biden, whose faltering performance renewed voters' deep concerns about his age. The two had agreed to a second debate on Sept 10.

After Biden dropped out of the race on July 21 and backed Harris, Trump said on July 25 that he would not debate her because she was not the official candidate. He added that former President Barack Obama had yet to endorse her as proof of lack of support for her bid. A day later, Obama endorsed Harris.

Recent polls show a tight contest between Harris and Trump, who had enjoyed a bigger lead over Biden after the first debate.

Americans freed from Russian detention were greeted by US President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris after their arrival home on Friday

Trump has suggested the Sept.10 debate on ABC News should be moved to Fox News. Last week, in a phone call with reporters, Trump was asked if he’d commit to debating Harris at least once. He responded: “Oh, yes, absolutely. I’d want to,” and he said there was an obligation to debate.