Former U.S. President Donald Trump announced there will be no further presidential debates against Vice President Kamala Harris ahead of the Nov. 5 election. “THERE WILL BE NO THIRD DEBATE!” the 78-year-old Republican nominee declared on the social media site Truth Social on Thursday. Trump had previously debated President Joe Biden in June and Harris on Tuesday, Sep. 10 (9am on Sep. 11, Singapore time).
Background
Trump’s decision comes after a contentious debate with Harris, which drew significant public attention. The debate was watched by at least 67.1 million television viewers. Despite Trump’s assertion that he won the debate, multiple surveys and polls indicated that the majority of viewers believed Harris performed better. According to a Reuters poll, 53 per cent of respondents said Harris won, while only 24 per cent thought Trump emerged victorious.
“I won the debate”: Trump
Trump remained adamant about his performance, stating, “I won the Debate against Comrade Kamala Harris.” However, this view was not widely shared. At least six Republican donors and three Trump advisers told Reuters they believed Harris had won. This sentiment was reflected in several surveys, with a significant portion of respondents favouring Harris’s performance.
Harris called for another debate
Speaking at a rally in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on Thursday, Harris called for another debate with Trump. “I believe we owe it to the voters to have another debate because this election and what is at stake could not be more important,” Harris said, as quoted by CNN. Despite Trump’s refusal, Harris’s team remains optimistic about the possibility of another debate. “He (Trump) changes his position every day,” a senior Harris adviser said, predicting that there might still be another debate.
Defended his performance
Trump defended his debate performance vigorously. “When a prizefighter loses a fight, the first words out of his mouth are, ‘I WANT A REMATCH.’ 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,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. The vice presidential debate between JD Vance and Tim Walz, the respective running mates of Trump and Harris, is scheduled for Oct. 1, 2024 (Oct. 2, Singapore time).
Future implications
The refusal to engage in another debate has sparked criticism from Democrats and further polarised the electorate. With the election drawing closer, both campaigns are intensifying their efforts to sway undecided voters. The upcoming vice presidential debate between JD Vance and Tim Walz will likely be a critical moment for both parties. As the political landscape continues to evolve, the impact of these debates on the election’s outcome remains to be seen.
