Donald Trump definitively refuses a second debate

Photo: Alex Brandon Associated Press Donald Trump during the only debate with Kamala Harris, September 10, 2024

Agence France-Presse in Washington

Published at 8:09 p.m. Updated at 8:43 p.m.

• United States

Donald Trump definitively ruled out participating in a second presidential debate against Kamala Harris, his Democratic rival in the race for the White House, on Wednesday.

“There will be no rematch!” the Republican billionaire wrote on his network, Truth Social, despite offers from CNN and Fox News to broadcast a face-off between the two candidates. “Kamala clearly stated yesterday that she would do nothing differently than Joe Biden, so there is no point in debate.”

With four weeks to go before an election that is more indecisive than ever, Americans will therefore not have the right to see the candidates in the running face off a second time, as is the usual tradition.

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Mr. Trump listed other reasons for his refusal. The tribune explained in particular that “it is already very late in the process, the vote has already started.”

He also believes that he does not have to debate again, because according to him, he dominated Ms. Harris on September 10.

“I won the last two debates, one with Joe the crook, one with Kamala the liar,” he said.

According to many observers, it was the Democratic vice president who won their televised duel.

The former prosecutor had managed to draw her rival to the topics most likely to hurt her ego—attendance at her rallies, the disaffection of her former political allies, her international reputation—preventing her from developing her vision for the country.

CNN had set an ultimatum of Thursday for the candidates to agree to debate on October 23 on its airwaves in Atlanta, Georgia. His conservative counterpart Fox News had proposed a debate in Pennsylvania on October 24 or 27. Mr. Trump refused both offers.

The debate on October 1 between the two running mates, J.D. Vance and Tim Walz, considered rather close and slightly in favor of the Republican, will therefore remain as the last major oral discussion between Republicans and Democrats to unfold their visions for the country.

M. Trump and Harris remain neck and neck in the polls in the key states that will decide the November 5 election.

This is despite a series of unprecedented twists and turns in the campaign: Donald Trump’s criminal conviction, two assassination attempts on his life, and current President Joe Biden’s withdrawal from the race this summer, just weeks after a disastrous debate that fueled concerns about his health.

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