Trump rules out second debate with Harris, claiming victory in last debate despite polls

Former President Donald Trump announced he will not participate in a second debate with Vice President Kamala Harris, asserting he had won their initial face-off and dismissing any need for further debates.

In a post on his Truth Social account, Trump stated, “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 went on to criticize the Biden administration’s handling of immigration and inflation, adding, “THERE WILL BE NO THIRD DEBATE!”

The debate in Philadelphia earlier in the week marked their first direct confrontation on the presidential stage. During the 90-minute exchange, Harris launched repeated attacks on Trump’s record, focusing on topics such as the Capitol riot and criticism from former officials who served in his administration. Trump spent much of the debate defending his previous actions, particularly his rally sizes and immigration policies.

Harris’ strategy of placing Trump on the defensive appeared effective, as a CNN poll indicated 63% of viewers believed she performed better. Betting markets reflected a similar shift toward Harris following the debate.

Throughout the event, Harris frequently targeted Trump, who repeatedly responded by defending his past actions, often losing focus on major issues like the economy and abortion. On immigration, Harris mocked the size and enthusiasm of Trump’s rally crowds, claiming attendees “start leaving early out of exhaustion and boredom.” Trump responded by spending much of his answer defending his rally sizes instead of addressing the immigration question.

When discussing abortion, Harris accused Trump of supporting policies that led to restrictive measures in some states, referring to them as “Trump abortion bans.” Trump, in contrast, struggled to provide a coherent defense of his stance, delivering a response that failed to resonate with many voters.

Nielsen reported an audience of 67.1 million for the debate, a significant increase from the 51.3 million viewers who watched the June debate between Trump and President Joe Biden. Fox News had the largest audience of any network airing the debate, with 9.1 million viewers.

Despite his public declarations of victory, members of Trump’s campaign privately admitted to New York Times that his performance may not have persuaded undecided voters. Meanwhile, Harris’ campaign called for a second debate, but with Trump now ruling out any further meetings, additional presidential debates before November remain uncertain.

Taylor Swift’s endorsement of the Harris-Walz ticket shortly after the debate led to nearly 338,000 new visitors to Vote.gov, according to a spokesperson from the General Services Administration.

A vice-presidential debate between Tim Walz and JD Vance is scheduled for October 1, while no additional presidential debates are currently planned.