Donald Trump has announced he will not participate in any more presidential debates against Kamala Harris before the crucial November election. His declaration came on Thursday, a mere two days after their initial debate in Philadelphia, where he expressed that Harris’s push for another debate stemmed from his apparent victory.
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Instant polls following the debate on Tuesday showed a preference for Harris’s performance over Trump’s. Despite this, Trump advised Harris to concentrate on her responsibilities as Vice-President rather than pursuing another debate.
In response, at a subsequent rally in North Carolina, Harris argued the necessity of another debate, emphasizing the critical nature of the issues at stake and the candidates’ obligation to the electorate.
The race between the two is reportedly neck and neck as the election nears. Both Harris and Trump have claimed victory from Tuesday’s confrontation aired on ABC News, which saw Harris launch a series of personal attacks that seemingly caught Trump off-guard, including critiques on his rally sizes and his actions during the Capitol riot on January 6, 2021.
Accusations of bias towards Harris from Trump and his supporters were directed at the ABC journalists moderating the debate. Trump reiterated on Thursday via a post on Truth Social that he saw no need for another debate, likening his situation to a prizefighter wanting a rematch after a loss but insisting the polls demonstrated his win.
He continued his campaign trail with a rally in Arizona and an interview backstage with Telemundo Arizona, where he mentioned the redundancy of another debate, believing all necessary topics were already covered.
Contrarily, the Harris campaign has been vocal about their desire for a second debate, maintaining that it would allow voters to better understand their choices at the polls. Despite assertions from Trump campaign surrogates like Florida Republican Representative Matt Gaetz that Trump might welcome another debate, Trump himself indicated a diminished interest following what he described as a “rigged” debate on Fox News.
This stance seems to contradict previous statements from his campaign, with senior adviser Jason Miller suggesting on CNN that Trump had committed to participating in three debates.
Discussions for a debate on NBC News were ongoing, though no official comments have been made following Trump’s recent refusal.
Additional Commentary
Adam Green from the Progressive Change Campaign Committee noted that Trump’s refusal might unintentionally benefit the Harris campaign by solidifying her presidential image. Jeremy Petersen, an independent voter from Utah, expressed his lack of surprise at Trump’s decision, suggesting Trump is avoiding situations that don’t promise clear advantages.
The tradition of multiple presidential debates dates back to the Kennedy-Nixon debates in 1960, with at least one vice-presidential debate occurring in most election cycles. This tradition was disrupted when Joe Biden withdrew from the race following an unsatisfactory debate performance against Trump.
Despite Trump’s suggestions for additional debates on multiple networks, Harris agreed only to the ABC debate. Trump’s post indicated that Harris refused the extra debates. The viewership for the debate between Harris and Trump was notably higher than that for the debate between Trump and Biden, reflecting the significant public interest and involvement in the election process.
Polls from Reuters/Ipsos show Harris leading nationally by five points, with a majority of respondents favoring her in the recent debate.
Debating the Debates
The decision by Donald Trump to opt out of further debates introduces a new dynamic into the tightly contested race, leaving voters with much to consider as they weigh their options for the upcoming presidential election.
