NewsBite

Donald Trump rejects second TV debate with Kamala Harris

Donald Trump appeared to definitely rule out another debate with Kamala Harris, a day after sending mixed signals following their clash this week in Philadelphia.

“When a prize-fighter loses a fight, the first words out of his mouth are, “I WANT A REMATCH,” wrote former US President Donald Trump. Picture: Hannah Beier/Bloomberg via Getty Images
“When a prize-fighter loses a fight, the first words out of his mouth are, “I WANT A REMATCH,” wrote former US President Donald Trump. Picture: Hannah Beier/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Donald Trump appeared to definitely rule out another debate with Kamala Harris, a day after sending mixed signals following their clash in Philadelphia.

“Kamala should focus on what she should have done during the last almost four year period,” Trump wrote Thursday, in all caps, on social media. “There will be no third debate!” Trump claimed he won the Tuesday debate with the vice president, though she was widely seen as having the better night. “When a prize-fighter loses a fight, the first words out of his mouth are, “I WANT A REMATCH,” he wrote.

Asked if Trump was in fact ruling out a debate, a spokeswoman said in an email, “You heard the man!” Harris, meanwhile, again called for the candidates to meet one more time. “I believe we owe it to the voters to have another debate,” she said at a rally in Charlotte, N.C. Thursday — minutes after Trump’s announcement.

During the debate Tuesday, Harris repeatedly worked to get under Trump’s skin and knock him off message. Picture: Saul Loeb/AFP
During the debate Tuesday, Harris repeatedly worked to get under Trump’s skin and knock him off message. Picture: Saul Loeb/AFP

The vice president criticised Trump in North Carolina — her first campaign event since the debate — for saying during the debate that he had a “concept of a plan” to replace the Affordable Care Act. “He’s going to end it based on a concept,” she said.

Harris also said Trump didn’t offer a vision for the country. “It was the same old show — that same tired playbook that we’ve heard for years with no plans for how he would address the needs of the American people, ” Harris said.

Trump has a long history of giving conflicting answers about whether he will commit to a debate, including before the two campaigns agreed on the Philadelphia event. The former president said Wednesday that the ABC News debate moderators were unfair to him and that he was “less inclined” to debate the vice president again, though later in the day he seemed more open to one. A number of his allies predicted he would debate again.

Republican presidential nominee, former U.S. President Donald Trump and Democratic presidential nominee, U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris shake hands as they arrive at their podiums to attend a presidential debate hosted by ABC in Philadelphia. Picture: Reuters/Brian Snyder
Republican presidential nominee, former U.S. President Donald Trump and Democratic presidential nominee, U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris shake hands as they arrive at their podiums to attend a presidential debate hosted by ABC in Philadelphia. Picture: Reuters/Brian Snyder

During the debate Tuesday, Harris repeatedly worked to get under Trump’s skin and knock him off message — for instance, needling him on crowd sizes and people leaving his rallies. Trump had planned to hammer a message that the vice president had years to accomplish what she is now proposing, but he waited until his closing remarks to forcefully make that case.

The debate in Philadelphia drew more than 67 million viewers, but it wasn’t expected to have a big impact on a race between the two contenders, who are vying for support across roughly seven battleground states. Many voters already have entrenched views of Trump, and some undecided voters suggested afterwards that the debate hadn’t pushed them toward a firm decision about November.

Trump previously debated President Biden in late June, a disastrous appearance for the incumbent who was then forced to drop out of the race and back Harris. If there are only two presidential debates this election, it would match the number of debates in 2020. Other campaigns since 2000 typically included three general election debates, plus a vice presidential debate.

This year’s vice presidential contenders, Republican Ohio Sen. JD Vance and Democratic Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, are scheduled to debate Oct. 1 in New York.

The Wall Street Journal

Read related topics:Donald Trump

Add your comment to this story

To join the conversation, please Don't have an account? Register

Join the conversation, you are commenting as Logout

Original URL: https://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/the-wall-street-journal/trump-rejects-second-debate-with-harris/news-story/758a7c820594aefbb26196698cecd38c