Trump Declines Second Debate Against Harris
Former US Pres. Donald Trump suggested Thursday that he won't participate in a second debate against Vice President Kamala Harris before the Nov. 5 presidential election....
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Facts
- Former US Pres. Donald Trump suggested Thursday that he won't participate in a second debate against Vice President Kamala Harris before the Nov. 5 presidential election.[1]
- In a Truth Social post made two days after facing Harris and over two months after debating Pres. Joe Biden, Trump posted, 'THERE WILL BE NO THIRD DEBATE!'[2]
- Harris has advocated for a third debate, stating, 'We owe it to the voters.' Harris' campaign also stated she 'believes there should be another debate and we do not consider this to be the last word from [Trump].' Trump characterized Harris' desire for a third debate as her seeking a 'rematch' after a poor performance.[3][4]
- Trump's assertion of having defeated the Democratic nominee on Tuesday is in contrast to polls by Reuters, YouGov, and CNN showing Harris as the winner. However, New York Times interviews with undecided voters suggested that the debate may not have impacted their stances in many cases.[5][6]
- Several TV channels are reportedly interested in hosting another Trump-Harris debate in October. Trump has criticized ABC's alleged bias against him in Tuesday's debate — also suggesting that some Fox News hosts would be hypothetically acceptable to him in a final debate and others not.[7][8]
Sources: [1]BBC News, [2]Reuters, [3]CNBC, [4]Guardian, [5]CBS, [6]New York Times, [7]CNN and [8]FOX News.
Narratives
- Republican narrative, as provided by Wsj and Daily Wire. ABC News tried, and failed, to single-handedly tip the scales against Donald Trump in Tuesday's presidential debate. The network's moderators relentlessly 'fact-checked' Trump while giving his opponent mostly a free pass. This left-leaning favoritism left Trump fighting a three-on-one battle, as noted by the former president and his supporters. The lopsided scrutiny reinforced long-standing beliefs about mainstream media's anti-conservative agenda — the American people don't need to witness another biased debate circus.
- Democratic narrative, as provided by MSNBC and Guardian. Vice President Harris soundly won the ABC-hosted debate. By exposing Trump's weak grasp of facts, xenophobia, dangerous positions, and impulsive behavior, Harris made a bold statement to the American people. Because this race is still so tight in the polls, Americans deserve another square-off to further expose Trump's flaws. If a final debate comes to pass, it should follow ABC's lead, which demonstrated that maintaining neutrality is possible while holding candidates accountable for their statements.
