Trump rules out holding another TV debate with Harris

(COMBO) This combination of pictures created on September 10, 2024 shows former US President and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump (L) and US Vice President and Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris participating in a presidential debate at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on September 10, 2024. (Photo by SAUL LOEB / AFP)

WASHINGTON, United States — Donald Trump on Thursday announced he will not participate in another televised debate with his Democratic rival Vice President Kamala Harris ahead of November’s presidential election.

“THERE WILL BE NO THIRD DEBATE!” the Republican candidate wrote on his Truth Social platform, including in his tally the earlier debate with US President Joe Biden in June and his Tuesday showdown with Harris.

The Democratic candidate put Trump on the defensive in their ABC News-hosted clash, watched by 67 million people. Almost immediately, her campaign called for a second showdown in October.

The day after the debate, Trump said he “would do NBC and would do Fox, too.” However, his latest statement, issued in his characteristic mix of all-caps segments and insults, made clear he has bowed out — while claiming that Harris is just desperate for a second chance.

“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 wrote in his post.

“When a prizefighter loses a fight, the first words out of his mouth are, ‘I WANT A REMATCH,'” he said.

A CNN snap poll of viewers said Harris performed better than Trump by 63 percent to 37, while a YouGov poll said Harris laid out a clearer plan by 43 to 32 percent.

A debate between the vice presidential running mates, Democratic Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and Republican Senator J.D. Vance, from Ohio, is currently set to be hosted by CBS News on October 1.