Donald Trump has announced that he will not participate in another televised debate with his Democratic rival, Vice President Kamala Harris, ahead of the November presidential election.
In a statement on his Truth Social platform, Trump wrote, “THERE WILL BE NO THIRD DEBATE!” He included in his tally the earlier debate with US President Joe Biden in June and his recent showdown with Harris.
The Democratic candidate had put Trump on the defensive in their ABC News-hosted clash, watched by 67 million people. Immediately after the debate, her campaign called for a second showdown in October. However, Trump has now bowed out, claiming that Harris is desperate for a second chance.
Trump wrote in his post, “Polls clearly show that I won the Debate against Comrade Kamala Harris, the Democrats’ Radical Left Candidate, on Tuesday night, and she immediately called for a Second Debate.” He added, “When a prizefighter loses a fight, the first words out of his mouth are, ‘I WANT A REMATCH.’”
However, polls have shown that Harris performed better than Trump in the debate. A CNN snap poll of viewers said Harris performed better by 63 to 37%, while a YouGov poll said Harris laid out a clearer plan by 43 to 32%.
A debate between the vice presidential running mates, Democratic Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and Republican Senator JD Vance from Ohio, is currently set to be hosted by CBS News on October 1.
