Donald Trump, the Republican candidate has ruled out having a second presidential debate with democratic rival Kamala Harris. The first was one of the most watched events of the election season which attracted over 67 million viewers.
He said on Thursday – two days after the pair’s first showdown in Philadelphia – that Harris only wanted a rematch because he “clearly” won.
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However the polls after Tuesday’s debate indicated voters felt Harris had performed better than her Republican opponent. On Thursday, Trump posted on the Truth Social platform saying: “THERE WILL BE NO THIRD DEBATE!”
Trump added that Harris should instead “focus” on her job as vice-president. Trump had previously had a debate against President Joe Biden on June 27, who was replaced with Kamala Harris after concerns were raised over his age and performance in the debate.
Read also: US vice president Kamala Harris widens lead over Trump in new poll
Shortly after, at a campaign rally in North Carolina, Harris responded by saying they “owe” voters another debate because “what is at stake could not be more important”.
Both claimed victory after Tuesday’s 90-minute debate on ABC News, in which Harris rattled Trump with a string of personal attacks that put him on the defensive. These included comments about the size of his rally crowds and his conduct during the 6 January 2021 riot at the US Capitol.
Trump and his supporters have since accused the two ABC journalists that moderated the debate of being unfair and biased in favour of Harris. He said on Thursday that he did not need another debate.
“When a prizefighter loses a fight, the first words out of his mouth are ‘I want a rematch’,” Trump wrote in a lengthy Truth Social post on Thursday.
“Polls clearly show that I won the debate against comrade Kamala Harris, the Democrats’ radical left candidate… and she immediately called for a second debate,” he added.
A CNN flash poll released shortly after the debate also showed a majority of viewers felt Harris outperformed Trump, and a YouGov poll showed 54 percent of those surveyed said Harris won compared with 31 percent for Trump.
The former president held a rally in Arizona on Thursday and gave an interview with Telemundo Arizona backstage. “We just don’t think it’s necessary,” he said of a second debate with Harris. “We think we’ve discussed everything and I don’t think they want it either.”
The Harris campaign, however, called for a second debate immediately after Philadelphia and continued to do so on Thursday. They said voters “got to see the choice they will face at the ballot box: moving forward with Kamala Harris or going backwards with Trump”.
“Vice-President Harris is ready for a second debate. Is Donald Trump?” the campaign said.
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