Trump Claims Harris Requested Another Debate, Reiterates Refusal to Participate

Trump Claims Harris Requested Another Debate, Reiterates Refusal to Participate

Former President Donald Trump took to his Truth Social platform late Tuesday night, following the vice-presidential debate, to assert that Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign requested a second debate—a request he quickly rejected once again.

Key Details:

• Trump alleged that Harris had “just put out a request for another debate” and suggested that the Democrats are pushing for a rematch because Governor Tim Walz, Harris’ running mate, “lost so badly tonight.”
• Despite the alleged request, Trump remained firm in his decision not to participate in another debate, claiming he already defeated both Harris and President Joe Biden in this election cycle’s debates.
• Trump further argued that it is “too late” for another debate as early voting has already begun, referencing the fact that the last 2020 presidential debate occurred in late October.
• The Harris campaign has not yet responded to Trump’s claims.

Betting Odds for Another Debate:

• The chances of another debate between Trump and Harris currently stand at 20% on the crypto-based betting platform Polymarket. While odds briefly rose to 34% before Tuesday’s vice-presidential debate, they have since dropped significantly.
• Unlike the impact of the presidential debate last month, this latest face-off between VP candidates appears to have little influence on the broader betting odds for the election outcome.

Poll Numbers:

• Harris holds a slim 2.6-point lead in FiveThirtyEight’s national polls average. However, swing state polls remain highly competitive. Despite this, Trump claimed in his post that he was “leading BIG in the polls.”

Background:

• In September, Harris accepted a debate invitation from CNN for October 23. The proposed debate was set to follow the format of Biden and Trump’s first encounter, with Atlanta as the host city. Trump, however, dismissed the offer immediately, citing the proximity to early voting and reiterating his stance at a rally in North Carolina.

Source: Forbes