On Thursday, former President Donald Trump declared that he would not be agreeing to a second debate with Vice President Kamala Harris — arguing that he “clearly” won the first debate and asserting that her eagerness for a second debate proves that she knows she lost the first one, despite having the moderators in her corner.
You had your ABC friends attack the hell out of Trump and you still lost
Thats why you want another one
— DC_Draino (@DC_Draino) September 12, 2024
On Tuesday evening, Trump debated Harris and ABC moderators David Muir and Linsey Davis. While the debate was supposed to be Trump vs. Harris, the far-left moderators could not help themselves — they had to jump in and defend her at every turn, even going so far as to “fact-check” Trump while ignoring every egregious lie told by Harris. They also allowed Harris to dodge nearly every important question without even bothering to ask a follow-up, but attacked Trump every time he didn’t answer the questions the way they wanted him to.
After all of this, Trump has decided not to have a second debate with Harris. In a post on Truth Social, the Republican nominee made his reasons for the decision clear — Harris’ eagerness to push for a second debate shows that she understands how badly she looked to the American people in the first debate.
“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,” he wrote.
“She and Crooked Joe have destroyed our Country, with millions of criminals and mentally deranged people pouring into the USA, totally unchecked and unvetted, and with Inflation bankrupting our Middle Class,” Trump added. “Everyone knows this, and all of the other problems caused by Kamala and Joe – It was discussed in great detail during the First Debate with Joe, and the Second Debate with Comrade Harris. She was a no-show at the Fox Debate, and refused to do NBC & CBS.”
Trump concluded his post by calling out Harris’ record in his signature all caps writing: “KAMALA SHOULD FOCUS ON WHAT SHE SHOULD HAVE DONE DURING THE LAST ALMOST FOUR YEAR PERIOD. THERE WILL BE NO THIRD DEBATE!”
TRUMP: “There will be no third debate” pic.twitter.com/N4XnaTnQ8G
— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) September 12, 2024
This post came after Harris’ campaign team released a statement within hours of the ABC debate, demanding a second debate.
Jen O’Malley, the chairwoman of Harris’ campaign, wrote: “The American people got to see the choice they will face this fall at the ballot box: between moving forward with Kamala Harris, or going backwards with Trump. That’s what they saw tonight and what they should see at a second debate in October. Vice President Harris is ready for a second debate. Is Donald Trump?”
NEW from @jomalleydillon on HUGE debate win >>
"The American people got to see the choice they will face this fall at the ballot box: between moving forward with Kamala Harris, or going backwards with Trump….Vice President Harris is ready for a second debate. Is Donald Trump?" pic.twitter.com/zbkCCD8xPO
— Ammar Moussa (@ammarmufasa) September 11, 2024
In yet another moment of desperation, Harris posted on X soon after Trump announced he would not agree to a second debate, writing: “Two nights ago, Donald Trump and I had our first debate. We owe it to the voters to have another debate.”
Two nights ago, Donald Trump and I had our first debate.
We owe it to the voters to have another debate.
— Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) September 12, 2024
Meanwhile, in a Fox News appearance just after the debate concluded, Trump told host Sean Hannity that he would consider a debate “if it was on a fair network.” It is unclear if he will change his mind on a second debate if Harris agrees to those terms, but many conservatives are hopeful that he would.
