Donald Trump has disappointed many Americans who were hoping for another debate between him and Kamala Harris before Election Day. On Wednesday, Trump made it clear he will not participate in any further debates, despite CNN’s deadline for the candidates to respond to an invitation for an October 23 debate in Atlanta. “I won the last two debates,” Trump stated in an all-caps post on his Truth Social account.
I WON THE LAST TWO DEBATES, ONE WITH CROOKED JOE, THE OTHER WITH LYIN’ KAMALA. I ACCEPTED THE FOX-NEWS INVITATION TO DEBATE KAMALA ON SEPTEMBER 4TH, BUT SHE TURNED IT DOWN. JD VANCE EASILY WON HIS DEBATE WITH TAMPON TIM WALZ, WHO CALLED HIMSELF A KNUCKLEHEAD! I AM ALSO LEADING IN…
— Donald J. Trump Posts From His Truth Social (@TrumpDailyPosts) October 9, 2024
In his post, Trump referred to his participation in previous debates: one with President Joe Biden on June 27 (hosted by CNN) and another with Kamala Harris on September 10 (hosted by ABC).
Trump Says No to Another Debate
Trump emphasized that he had already accepted an invitation for a debate with Harris, which was supposed to be organized by Fox News on September 4, but she declined to participate. He also brought up the recent vice-presidential debate between his running mate, JD Vance, and Tim Walz, claiming that Vance “easily won” against Harris. Trump further asserted that he is currently leading in the polls, especially in swing states.
Mocking Harris, Trump added, “The first thing a prizefighter does when he loses a fight is demand a rematch”. “It’s too late in the process, and voting has already started – there will be no rematch!” Trump declared, shutting down the possibility of a final debate.
Fox News Offers Debate Opportunity
Fox News also extended an invitation to both campaigns for debates on either October 24 or October 27, as potential final faceoffs before Election Day. Jay Wallace, Fox News CEO, sent a letter expressing the network’s interest in hosting the debate before the November 5 election. The suggested moderators were political anchors Martha MacCallum and Bret Baier, with the format adhering to similar guidelines as the CNN and ABC debates.
However, with Trump’s recent announcement, it appears a rematch with Kamala Harris is off the table.