Could Trump’s Third Debate Refusal Force Harris to Conduct Interviews?

Donald Trump has announced he will not participate in a second presidential debate (third including Biden) with Kamala Harris.

At a Glance

• Former President Donald Trump confirmed he will not participate in another debate against Vice President Kamala Harris.
• Trump claimed Harris wanted a rematch because he “clearly” won the first debate.
• Instant polls indicated voters felt Harris performed better in the first debate.
• Harris argued that voters deserve another debate due to the importance of the election.
• Polls show a tight race between Trump and Harris with two months to go before the election.

Trump Declines Third Debate

Former President Donald Trump revealed on Thursday that he would abstain from participating in a third presidential debate with Vice President Kamala Harris. The decision follows two contentious debates with Harris and President Joe Biden, which Trump criticized over their biased moderation. Trump argued that in the absence of a third debate, Harris should focus on her role as vice president.

During a rally in Arizona, Trump reiterated his decision in an interview with Telemundo Arizona, stating, “When a prizefighter loses a fight, the first words out of his mouth are, ‘I want a rematch.'” 

Despite Trump’s insistence that there will not be another debate, the Harris campaign remains hopeful, predicting that he may reconsider, given his history of reversals on similar announcements. 

Vice President Kamala Harris insists that another debate is crucial for voters. Speaking at a rally in Charlotte, she emphasized the election’s importance, stating, “I believe we owe it to the voters to have another debate.” 

Instant polls from the first debate indicated that voters felt Harris had performed better than Trump, though we have yet to see a major bump in the national polls for Harris. Nonetheless, Trump dismissed these results, claiming he had clearly won and suggesting the call for a rematch was unnecessary. 

“So, because we’ve done two debates and because they were successful, there will be no third debate,” he said. “It’s too late anyway, the voting’s already begun.”

Having refused to conduct a single live interview on her own, Vice President Harris now has one less opportunity to present herself to the public in a highly-scripted way. Trump’s insistence that there will not be another debate is likely a reflection of this reality, effectively forcing Team Harris to either conduct live interviews or continue their conspiracy to hide her from the public.