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Trump rules out second US presidential debate with Harris

The Republican ex-president and Democratic vice president, locked in an excruciatingly close White House battle, have faced off just once, in September.

AFP
Washington
Thu, October 10, 2024 Published on Oct. 10, 2024 Published on 2024-10-10T09:57:39+07:00

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Trump rules out second US presidential debate with Harris This combination of pictures created on Sept. 9, 2024 shows former United States president and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump (left) dancing as he leaves the stage after speaking alongside former US Representative Tulsi Gabbard during a town hall meeting in La Crosse, Wisconsin, on August 29, 2024 and US Vice President and Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris arriving onstage to speak on the fourth and last day of the Democratic National Convention (DNC) at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois, on Aug. 22, 2024. (AFP/Kamil Krzaczynski and Mandel Ngan)

D

onald Trump ruled out a second United States presidential debate with rival Kamala Harris on Wednesday, hours after Fox News offered to host a candidate showdown later this month before election day on November 5.

The Republican ex-president and Democratic vice president, locked in an excruciatingly close White House battle, have faced off just once, in September, and despite suggestions by multiple news outlets, it appears they will not meet again before the vote.

"It is very late in the process, [early] voting has already begun; there will be no rematch!" Trump said in an all-caps post on his Truth Social media platform, nixing the possibility of a follow-up to the candidates' first debate in Philadelphia. 

"Kamala stated clearly, yesterday, that she would not do anything different than Joe Biden, so there is nothing to debate," Trump added.

Harris had previously challenged Trump to a debate hosted by CNN on Oct. 23, but the former president declined.

Trump also said that Harris, who became the Democratic nominee after President Biden ended his reelection bid following his disastrous debate with Trump, had backed out of a previous debate offered by Fox, although the Harris campaign had not publicly accepted the proposal.

The candidates did agree to debate on ABC News on September 10, and the vice presidential running mates, Republican J.D. Vance and Democrat Tim Walz, squared off on Oct. 1.

But while Trump said he had agreed to participate in a Sept. 4 debate on Fox, as well as one on Sept. 25 on NBC News, Harris never did. 

The vice president, after positive reviews that she had bested Trump in their encounter, had expressed interest in doing a second debate, but the plans never came to fruition.

Fox for its part sent letters Wednesday to the two campaigns offering "one final pitch for a debate" between Harris and Trump, either on Oct. 24 or Oct. 27.

"This would present an opportunity for each candidate to make his or her closing arguments," wrote Jay Wallace, president of Fox News Media.

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