The previous US president’s response comes regardless of the Harris marketing campaign’s problem for an additional debate after her robust displaying.
This week’s presidential debate between former United States President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris was probably the most watched occasions of the election season: The published attracted over 67 million viewers.
However on Thursday, Trump put the kibosh on the prospect of an encore, posting on the Reality Social platform: “THERE WILL BE NO THIRD DEBATE!”
Trump had beforehand confronted off in opposition to President Joe Biden on June 27, however issues surged over the 81-year-old’s age after the Democratic incumbent’s stumbling efficiency. Lower than a month later, Biden dropped out of the race and was swiftly changed by Harris.
A second debate had been deliberate for September 10, and regardless of the altering dynamics of the race, each Harris and Trump agreed to proceed with the scheduled occasion, which came about in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
However after the controversy, pundits largely gave the sting to Harris, evaluating her extra polished efficiency with Trump’s rambling one.
“Beneath the brilliant lights, the American folks acquired to see the selection they’ll face this fall on the poll field: between transferring ahead with Kamala Harris or going backwards with Trump,” Jen O’Malley Dillon, the pinnacle of the Harris marketing campaign, stated on the time.
Harris’s camp shortly challenged Trump to a follow-up debate, searching for to construct on the momentum. Trump, nevertheless, rejected the likelihood in Thursday’s Reality Social publish. He additionally sought to reframe the aftermath of the controversy in his favour.
“When a prizefighter loses a struggle, the primary phrases out of his mouth are, ‘I WANT A REMATCH,’” he wrote.
Trump articulated an analogous sentiment within the minutes after the controversy itself. Talking to reporters, the Republican candidate argued the problem solely got here as a result of Harris “misplaced”.
However on the contrary, political commentators from each events have broadly agreed that Harris had a stronger displaying within the debate than Trump.
It was the primary time Harris and Trump had ever met in particular person, and the Democrat managed to goad her more and more irritated rival whereas producing a number of clip-ready moments of stifled laughter and sharp criticisms.
That got here regardless of each candidates dodging direct questions on a number of key coverage points.
Polls point out that US voters likewise really feel Harris got here out on prime within the debate. On Thursday, a survey from the information company Reuters and the market analysis agency Ipsos discovered that 53 p.c of voters who had at the very least some data of the controversy felt that Harris received. Simply 24 p.c stated the identical of Trump.
A CNN flash ballot launched shortly after the controversy additionally confirmed a majority of viewers felt Harris outperformed Trump, and a YouGov ballot confirmed 54 p.c of these surveyed stated Harris received in contrast with 31 p.c for Trump.
Nonetheless, it stays unclear how vital the controversy might be for the November 5 election or whether or not the end result will join with undecided voters in key battleground states. Polls present the race stays neck and neck.
The Reuters/Ipsos ballot additionally discovered {that a} majority of registered voters surveyed are glad with having just one Harris-Trump debate.
Fifty-four p.c felt one debate was sufficient. In the meantime, 46 p.c stated they wished a second debate.
