SEPTEMBER 12, 2024
US Vice President and Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris (R) shakes hands with former US President and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump during a presidential debate at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on September 10, 2024.
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Former President Donald Trump said Thursday he will not debate Vice President Kamala Harris a second time, drawing criticism from Democrats after he was put on the defensive during Tuesday’s showdown.
Making his announcement in a Truth Social post, Trump criticized both Harris and President Joe Biden. Trump and Biden faced off on June 27 before the incumbent dropped out of the race and Harris ascended to the top of the ticket.
“KAMALA SHOULD FOCUS ON WHAT SHE SHOULD HAVE DONE DURING THE LAST ALMOST FOUR YEAR PERIOD. THERE WILL BE NO THIRD DEBATE!” Trump said.
Prominent Democrats accused Trump of reeling from polls showing that Harris won Tuesday’s debate handily. A CNN/SSRS poll published Wednesday found that debate watchers 63% to 37% said Harris performed better on stage during the contest in Philadelphia.
Citing three national polls and one swing-state poll, ABC News/538 reported that “57 percent of debate watchers nationally said Harris turned in the better performance; only 34 percent said Trump did.”
In his Truth Social post, Trump referenced other polls claiming he won the faceoff with Harris, but he appeared to be referring to online surveys with self-selected respondents.
Trump demurred about whether he’d participate in another debate before making his announcement Thursday.
“When a prizefighter loses a fight, the first words out of his mouth are, “I WANT A REMATCH,” Trump said.
Harris made a low-key response, telling supporters at a campaign stop in North Carolina that “we owe it to the voters to have another debate.” Harris’ campaign called for another Trump-Harris debate just minutes after the Tuesday debate ended.
Courtesy/Source:This article originally appeared on USA TODAY
