Former President Donald Trump confirmed his future plans regarding debates after the recent Vice Presidential debate. He announced his decision to end his participation in debates following the exchange between Sen. JD Vance (R-OH) and Gov. Tim Walz (D-MN), who is Kamala Harris’ running mate.
Trump took to Truth Social, stating that he has no intention of participating in any further debates after his previous ones with President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris. He likened such requests for a rematch to a fight where the loser demands another round, suggesting that it is unnecessary at this point as he had already defeated both Biden and Harris. Trump also mentioned that votes have been cast and he is leading in polls, emphasizing his commitment towards making America great again, something he believes Harris is incapable of achieving.
The former president’s debate performance back on June 27th led to discussions among Democrat powerbrokers about potentially replacing him as the party’s candidate for the upcoming election. Trump and Harris participated in an ABC News Presidential Debate in September, which was widely regarded as a setback for Biden, whose performance set such low expectations that anyone could have easily surpassed them.
However, ABC News’s own polling revealed that this debate failed to sway public opinion significantly, with the race remaining relatively unchanged in terms of vote preferences among all adults, registered voters, and likely voters. Despite Harris’ criticism of Trump for refusing another debate, her campaign reportedly did not agree to the terms proposed by Trump’s team.